A Merc's Tale: A Dramatization of MW4: Mercenaries
by GenghisQuan
Summary: Follows Rich Hughes' Iron Eagles, a nascent mercenary outfit, as they engage in campaigns all across the Inner Sphere, set during the backdrop of the FedCom Civil War. Partly based on my current MW4: Mercs campaign playthrough. Reviews much appreciated.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Standard "I do not own" stuff goes here. Also, I do realize that technically it's "'Mech" and not "mech", but the latter is much easier to write, so that's the spelling I'm going with.

_Vlad's Spirits Pub_

_Eaton_

_October 12__th__, 3063_

* * *

"I was there, during the Battle for Barlow's Gap," a middle-aged man with a prosthetic limb wheezed as he took a swig from his mug. "Things were looking grim, I'll tell you that. We were outgunned, outweighed, outnumbered, and on top of that, they had vehicles and air support all over the place. You couldn't take barely a step without getting tagged. I was in a Wolfhound myself, light little bugger, and was getting sandwiched between and pounded by a Thanatos and a Bushwacker, when a miracle happened.

"One of them new-fangled Clan mechs showed up, a Mad Cat, I think they call it. Blasted straight up in the air on its jump jets, guns blazing. The Bushwacker ate two PPC blasts straight to the center torso. Heh, it wouldn't be whacking any bushes, much less than mechs, any time soon," the veteran chuckled. "And the Thanatos…well, it's not often you see a god of death get pounced on by a cat, even a mad one.

"At first, I thought it was the Clanners come again, but nope, that mech had a peculiar insignia painted on, and old and addled as I might be, I know the Northwind Highlanders insignia when I see it. Anyways, my Wolfhound's center torso was almost gone, so I just hightail it out of there, heading for the nearest mobile field bay. Along the way, I pass by the rest of his lance, a Thanatos, a Catapult, and another Mad Cat, although this one looked a little smaller.

"Anyways, I never got his name, only his call sign," the veteran sighed. "Shame, really. I would have liked to meet the man who saved my ass that day."

"Pardon my curiosity," one of the patrons said, "but what was that call sign, exactly?"

"Spectre," the veteran replied. The patron nodded, then left some C-bills on the table and headed for the exit. Before he left, the man turned his head and offered one last word of parting.

"That was a Mad Cat Mk II. It's an assault version of the Mad Cat, which is why that other Mad Cat looked smaller. Also, that Death From Above was pure luck. The Thanatos pilot was probably just too shocked to see a Clan mech suddenly appear, much less one try that particular maneuver on him. And one last thing…the name's Hughes. Captain Richard Hughes, commanding officer of Hughes' Iron Eagles, up-and-coming mercenary company currently under the sponsorship of the Northwind Highlanders."


	2. Chapter 1: Not So Humble Beginnings

_Talon Dropship Adler_

_Eaton_

_12 October 3063_

That night, Richard tossed about in his cot and thought about the veteran's tale. A smile appeared on his face as memories of previous missions came back. His little merc outfit had come a long way since the day he first walked out of the Hiring Hall at Outreach...

_

* * *

_

_Hiring Hall_

_Outreach_

_14 March 3063_

"Well, Mr. Hughes, ye've made the right choice," the Northwind Highlanders representative said as he reached out and shook hands with the average-built man sitting across from him. "Now, if ye'll come wi' me, I'll show ye ta where yer assets are bein' kept."

"Thank you, sir. And please, call me Rich," Richard Hughes replied. He followed the rep into his car and left the Hiring Hall.

"I watched yer last Solaris fight," the rep commented as he drove. "Shame, really. I was rootin' for ye the whole time."

Rich shrugged. "Anderson St.-Pierre is a strong contender. Going down to him ain't much to be ashamed of. Besides, I made it to the semifinals, and that's something, eh?"

"Aye," the rep replied. "We weren't expectin' Rich 'Ace' Hughes ta take up the mercenary's trade after 'e retired. Ah, we're 'ere." The two men climbed out. "This is First Lieutenant Erin Carano, call sign 'Castle'," the rep said, introducing a raven-haired woman who reached out and shook Rich's hand. "She'll be yer liaison wi' potential employers, as well as watchin' over ye durin' missions, keepin' ye posted on objectives, an' the like. This," he pointed to a rather large craft, "is yer transport. It houses a MechLab, simulators, the whole nine yards. Yer mechs, equipment, an' crew are already loaded inside, and that concludes our meeting." He turned back to Rich. "We be expectin' great things from ye, Captain Hughes. Go out, an' make us proud." The rep snapped off a final salute to Rich and Castle, then got in his car and left.

"Well then. Shall we, Miss Carano?" Rich asked.

"Ready when you are, Commander," the woman replied. "And please, call me Castle."

* * *

_Mechbay of Talon Dropship Adler_

_Outreach_

_14 March 3063_

"Dibs on the Chimaera," Jacob "Shredder" Silverman announced for about the fiftieth time.

"Shredder, you keep saying that," James "Rufus" Bracken replied. "None of that means a darn until the Commander gets here."

"Kid has a point," Daniel "Hannibal" Burke added. "Let's just chill for a while."

"Is there a problem?" Rich asked as he and Castle walked in. Hannibal, Rufus, and Shredder snapped to attention. "At ease, gentlemen. Now, what was going on?"

"We were just discussing who gets which mech, sir," Shredder said.

"Oh, well that's easy. We're all going in Fleas. As a great Terran naval commander once said, 'speed is armor'," Rich replied. There was silence among the rest of his lance, save for Hannibal, who raised an eyebrow at the quote. It would appear that his CO at least knew his military history.

"You're…kidding, right?" Shredder asked, incredulous.

"Hell yeah, I'm kidding. In fact, I just ditched the Fleas and got us a Hellspawn. Sold some other equipment as well and bought us some Clan tech. They're being fitted on to our mechs right now. Anyways, as far as allocation, Hellspawn's mine. The rest of you draw lots as to which ones you take."

"Pardon me, sir," Rufus said, "but…you're THE Rich 'Ace' Hughes." The others rolled their eyes. Way to go, Captain Obvious.

"Yup, that I am," Rich replied. "Anyways – "

"Question sir." Rufus again. "What are we to be called?"

Huh. Rich really hadn't thought of that one. Blood Angels? Nah, sounded like a faction from some children's game. World Eaters? Too melodramatic. Alpha Legion? Eh, too stiff. Then it hit him. "Iron Eagles. Hughes' Iron Eagles, that's our name," he decided, before moving on. "Now, on to more pressing matters: contracts. We could go to either Eaton or Halloran V. Eaton's a desert world, Halloran's more oceanic. Any preference?"

Shredder and Rufus shook their heads. Hannibal looked thoughtful, then spoke up. "I'd like Eaton first, if that's fine with you."

"Uh huh," Rich nodded in acknowledgement. "Any particular reason why?"

"Well, it looks like the conflicts on those two planets are both not going away any time soon. There should be contracts on either world even after we finish with one," Hannibal replied. "However, Eaton would be tougher on our mechs due to the higher heat, but that just means we'll be better at managing heat when we go to Halloran."

"My thoughts exactly," Rich replied. "Alright, Eaton it is."


	3. Chapter 2: First Blood

**A/N**: So, I was made aware of the need for tech specs and annotations. Anyways, this . is a good place to go for specifications, if you haven't played MW4 and want a better idea of just what these mechs are capable of. Or rather, are "supposed" to be capable of, since the combat in this story is meant to be more narrative in nature, so don't go about thinking that this is supposed to be an accurate representation of either the computer game or the tabletop. As for annotations of things like quotes and references, I'll be posting an appendix once this is all over. Anyways, this note is taking up way too much space, so on to the main story!

* * *

_Staging Area, Designation "Merc Alley" _

_Eaton_

_30 March 3063_

"We've been offered a contract by the Free Skye movement," Rich said to his lancemates. "They want us to go after a Lyran convoy. Now, we're mercs and all, but does anyone have any political objection to doing this? Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

No one spoke up.

"Right then. Saddle up, and roll out."

The battle was terribly short. Rich had rode out in his Hellspawn, Shredder had drawn one of the Chimerae, Hannibal the other, and Rufus a Raven. The Lyrans did send escorts, but only of the vehicle variety, not having counted on mechs being sent against them. Rich snorted as he fired his Hellspawn's jump jets, popping over a ridge long enough to fire a LRM salvo and a blast from his large laser that tore through a Bulldog. Lasers, LRMs, and the odd autocannon shot rang out from his lance that made short work of the rest of the escorts. Not even reinforcements in the form of Myrmidons and Nightwinds were sufficient to stop the Iron Eagles from completing their objective.

Rich did a small jig in his mech. That was not nearly enough of a challenge for the Ace. However, the next mission would reveal some problems within his lance that he had to nip in the bud.

_

* * *

Staging Area, Designation "Merc Alley" _

_Eaton_

_13 April 3063_

"Alright, Spectre Lance, same drill. We go in, we kill the escorts, we get out with salvage," Hughes called out to his lancemates over the comm. "Any questions?"

"Yeah, just one," came the reply from Shredder's mech. "If your nickname was 'Ace' on Solaris, why's your call sign 'Spectre'?"

"Because following his defeat by the ASP, the Ace is gone now, only a Spectre of his former self," Rich replied, in a hauntingly serious tone.

There was silence. Then, from Shredder's comm: "Really?"

"Hell no. Well, part of it, at least. See, I said I would retire after that bid for the Grand Championship, regardless of whether I won or lost, so that's kind of just me putting my 'Solaris life' behind me. That, and I thought it sounded pretty badass."

"Asp?" Hannibal asked.

"Anderson St.-Pierre. Come on, get with the times, Hannibal," Rufus said, good-naturedly. He piloted a Chimera now, bought with the proceeds from the previous mission. Hannibal and Rich now piloted the two Hellspawns, with Shredder rounding out the group in his Chimera.

"Alright, cut the chatter," Rich called out. "Enemies up ahead. Looks like Demolishers and- oh snap, an Argus and a Chimera. Hmm, add a squadron of choppers to that as well. Castle, any chance of getting some air support?"

"Yes sir, squadron of choppers headed your way. Be on the lookout," Castle replied in her accented voice.

"Right then. Check your targeting reticules, people. If they go blue, don't shoot," Rich warned. "Alright, stay away from the Demolishers, and focus fire on that Argus."

"Roger," Hannibal replied before letting loose with a Clan LRM barrage that got the Heavy's attention.

"Sorry lead, I'm a little pre-occupied right now," Shredder said. "Shit, that Chimera's got a hard-on for me or something, I'll join you once I get this little bugger taken care of."

"Hmm, that could work. Shredder, you concentrate on drawing fire from the support units. Good thing I gave your mech an engine upgrade. Rufus – Rufus?" There was no answer. "What the hell?" Rich turned his cockpit to see that Rufus was just standing there, frozen. "Rufus! What are you doing!? Engage my target!"

Just then, a shot from the enemy mech's Ultra AC5s rocked Rich's Hellspawn, halving its rear armor and knocking it down. Luckily, covering fire from Hannibal saved his career from being cut unduly short, though it earned Hannibal a couple of LRMs and medium laser blasts. Still, neither mech was knocked out, which was good.

"Son of a bitch," Rich growled as he got back up, torso twisted back and retaliated with his own Clan Ultra AC5, Medium Lasers, and LRM5, but due to the sudden nature of the attack, damage was spread across the Argus' frame. Just then, an Alpha Strike from Hannibal also impacted squarely with the Argus' legs, blowing one of them off at the knee. "Nice shot, Hannibal. Now we just take out the other leg," Rich called out on his comm. Suddenly, a blue blip appeared on his HUD. "Well, well. Rufus decides to join us."

"Sorry sir," Rufus sounded nervous. "Froze, is all. I'm good now."

"Yeah, well don't fret. We got the Argus, see if Shredder needs anything."

"Roger."

The sky was clear at this point, a combination of the air support and Rufus hopping back into the fray saw to that. Shredder was still engaging the Chimera, and Rufus was now ganging up on one of the Demolishers with one of the surviving friendly Nightwinds.

"Ace!" Rich called out as a shot from his autocannon blew off the Argus' remaining leg. "Alright, let's get salvage in here." Meanwhile, he made a mental note to talk to a certain lancemate.

_

* * *

Talon Dropship Adler_

_Eaton_

_14 April 3063_

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Rufus said as he entered Rich's quarters.

"I think we both know why," Rich replied as he nodded. "So – what the hell happened back there?"

"I…I don't know, sir. I think it was just the prospect of going against that heavy and me only in a Chimera…but I can promise you it won't happen again, sir."

Rich sighed. "I know you didn't mean it, and I know you're probably regretting what happened back there. I – hell, all of us – have seen you working the simulators night and day when we got back. You have heart, Bracken. I'm sure that if you got more experience, this problem would go away."

Rufus grimaced. He had an inkling of where this conversation was going. He didn't like it, but he knew there wasn't much he could do.

"If this was any other job, I would keep you around. But unfortunately, in our business, the consequences of freezing results in your lancemates taking unnecessary damage, or even buying it." Rich sighed. "For that reason…I'm going to have to let you go."

Rufus nodded. "I understand. It was a pleasure working with you, sir."

As the pilot left to pick up his things, he heard one last offer of condolence from his former CO.

"Listen, if you ever need a reference for any other jobs…you know who to call."


	4. Chapter 3: Light Brigade

_Mechbay of Talon Dropship Adler_

_Eaton_

_18 Apr 3063_

"Alright, Iron Eagles, I want you to meet someone," Rich announced as he and a red-haired beauty entered the dropship's main room. "This is Amber Worthy, call sign 'Blaze'. She'll be replacing Bracken in our outfit. Worthy, these are your new lancemates. Say hi."

"Daniel Burke, call sign 'Hannibal'," Hannibal said, reaching out to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Blaze replied.

"Jacob Silverman," Shredder said. "Call me Shredder."

"Great, now we all know each other. Anyways, I've got some paperwork to attend to. Play nice." With that, Rich left for his quarters.

_

* * *

Staging Area, Designation "Merc Alley" _

_Eaton_

_27 April 3063_

"Alright, Spectre Lance, keep your eyes sharp. We've had a couple of easy runs recently, but they'd have to be pretty retarded not to have stepped up the escorts," Rich called out as he pushed his newly acquired and painted Argus' throttle to the max. "Close up, and form on me." A series of red blips on his radar alerted him to the presence of enemies. "Well, what do we have here? A Hellspawn, an Argus, and…a Catapult and an Uzi?"

"That's going to be a tough fight, sir," Hannibal said. "Even with our new mechs." Richard had sold one of their Chimeras and used the proceeds to buy an Uziel, which Hannibal was currently piloting. There wasn't enough Clan tech on the market to fully upgrade all their equipment, so this one carried a Clan LRM15, an ER PPC, and an Inner Sphere PPC. Blaze and Shredder took the two remaining Hellspawns, which carried their assortment of lasers, LRMs, and autocannons, and Rich's Argus was kitted out with an ER Large, a mid-pulse, a Clan LRM15, and a light Gauss for sniping.

"That it will be. Alright, focus fire on the closest target," Rich ordered, which turned out to be the Uziel. The poor thing didn't even have a chance as it found itself bombarded by missile salvos and autocannon rounds that blasted chunks off its armor, lasers and projected particles that melted pieces off its armor, and a magnetically accelerated slug that punched through its armor. After that barrage, one of its arms was entirely gone, disabling one of its PPCs. To the pilot's credit, he immediately retaliated with his other weapons, sending a PPC bolt that impacted squarely with Rich's Argus' center torso, causing his HUD to frazzle. A pair of autocannon rounds from Blaze and Shredder soon solved that problem.

"Scratch one!" came Blaze's rather excited voice. "Who next, sir?"

"The closest one," Rich replied. "Hmm, looks like the Argus. Watch out for them AC5s." Something nagged at him. "Castle, I'm not reading any transport vehicles. What's going on?" Instead of her voice, what greeted him was a series of crackles and intermittent syllables. Rich smacked his communication console. "Castle, you there?"

"It's a trap!" Castle yelled back, frantically. "There is no convoy. Make your way to Nav Point Beta for extraction ASAP!" Some other things were said, but Rich couldn't quite make it out.

"What? Castle, come in." Rich tried the comm again, but all he got was static. _Well, fuck me_, Spectre thought. "Spectre Lance, disengage, form on me, then head to Beta! We're getting the hell out of here!" As replies of acknowledgement came in, so did another communiqué from Castle.

"Spectre, I'm picking up another lance. Looks like two mediums, a heavy, and an assault. You could try to stay and fight, but that is highly not recommended. I-" static cut off the rest, though Rich did find that series of lines had been suddenly uploaded to his radar display.

"They just don't let up, do they," Rich growled, then turned on the comm to address the rest of his lance. "Alright, Castle's plotted an escape course for us. Distance-wise, it's longer, but it's also got more cover. So here's how we're going to do this. Blaze, you're with me. We'll head for that hill to the left side. Hannibal, you and Shredder draw their fire until we're at that ridge about quarter of a klick behind you. Then you're going to do the same, run to the next ridge while we provide cover fire. Repeat until we reach the nav, got it?"

"Roger!" Blaze exclaimed.

"Gotcha," Shredder added.

"You know, sir, you could have just said 'fire and maneuver'," Hannibal quipped.

"Yeah, whatever," Rich replied. "Go, go, go!"

Rich and Blaze pushed their throttles to maximum, zigzagging all the way. As Rich scrabbled across the ridge and hunkered down, he noticed that Blaze had managed to turn, reverse throttle, fire her jump jets, and launch a missile salvo and a round from her Clan Ultra5 that caught the attention of an enemy Argus. As soon as the heavier mech turned to target her Hellspawn, it had already descended behind the ridge, causing the Argus' return fire to pass by harmlessly overhead.

"Nice," Rich complimented, then addressed his other lancemates. "Team 1 is in position. Team 2, withdraw." Now it was their turn to provide covering fire, a task much easier said than done. "A Mauler, two Catapults, and an Argus, plus the previous mechs and Demolishers. Damn, this is going to suck," Rich growled as he launched an LRM barrage at the Mauler and fired his light Gauss rifle at one of the Catapults. _Heh, at least the light Gauss outranges anything they can throw at me,_ he thought before crouching down and bracing as a wave of missiles rained down on his position.

Hannibal and Shredder soon reached their defensive point as well. Hannibal's mech was missing an arm, and Shredder's had a gaping hole in its right torso. Rich gritted his teeth. Alright, change of plans.

"Hannibal, Shredder, you're halfway at the point. As soon as Blaze and I reach your position, push that throttle and hightail it towards the nav. Zigzag, Jump Jets, do whatever you have to do – just don't die," Rich called out. No sooner had Rich said that when a laser blast grazed Hannibal while he was in midjump, slagging off some of the armor on his Uziel's leg. As Hannibal landed and returned fire, his thoughts turned to an ancient poem from Terra.

"_Cannon to the left of them, cannon to the right of them, cannon behind them, volleyed and thundered."_

Four Ultra AC2 rounds blasted into Rich's Argus' rear armor, almost knocking it over. Waves and waves of missiles crashed around the Iron Eagles, kicking up dust and debris everywhere.

"_Stormed at with shot and shell, while horse and hero fell,"_

Rich heard a cry from Blaze as lasers and missiles lanced around her. Heard a curse when Hannibal ran out of ammo. Heard another cry when Shredder's Hellspawn ate two full missile salvoes that completely overwhelmed its LAMS. Then he heard something else, which made his frantically beating heart calm down somewhat. It was the sound of a Talon Dropship flying in, bringing its lasers and missiles to bear on his pursuers.

"_They that had fought so well, came through the jaws of Death, back from the mouth of Hell,"_

The dropship's bays opening as eight large lasers lanced out and wiped out the center torso on an enemy Argus, creating a massive explosion as its reactor core went kaput.

"Looks like we got here right in the nick of time," Castle called out on her comm.

"Guess that makes you a big damn hero, then," Rich called back, then issued new orders to his lance. "Blaze! Shredder, Hannibal! Jump Jet into the dropship!" He then turned around, switched his throttle to reverse, and fired off another volley at the pursuing mechs. _No jump jets on the Argus. Dammit, I hate this thing_, he thought as he crouched, then physically jumped backwards straight into the open Mechbay of the Dropship. It was not a perfect maneuver, as the Argus' legs caught on the bottom of the open bay, creating the rather ignominious image of a command mech laying flat on its back, legs kicking in the air in a vain attempt to regain balance.

"_All that was left of them, left of six hundred."_

_

* * *

Medbay of Talon Dropship Adler_

_Eaton_

_28 Apr 3063_

"How is he?" Rich asked the nurse that walked out.

"Well, he's still breathing, but he won't be in any condition to fight any time soon," she replied. "He will need reconstructive surgery and possibly some prosthetics, though, and we don't have the equipment to do that…"

Rich nodded. "Understood. Thanks." He looked through the glass at the prone figure, then turned to Castle. "Dammit. We just lost Bracken, and now Silverman's out of commission too."

"Don't forget, our contract includes payment for his medical bills," Castle added.

"Ugh, right." Rich grimaced. "At least we got paid for this fuck-up. Don't suppose any applications have turned up?"

"Several, sir, though most are rather expensive," Castle replied. "However, there is one Miriassi Kessler, call sign 'Angel'. Based on her ratings, she's around Bracken's skill level, but around his price range as well."

"Right then. Set up a meeting right away," Rich ordered, and continued to stare into the glass.


	5. Chapter 4: A New Start

_Hiring Hall_

_Outreach_

_5 May 3063_

The Mad Cat and the Uziel circled about, both mechs showing signs of battle damage, neither mech letting the other out of its sights. The formerly lush forest around them had been trampled into clearing, and craters filled the area. Suddenly, the Uziel took to the air with its jump jets, beating the Mad Cat's lock-on system by a fraction of a second as a salvo of Clan LRMs passed by harmlessly beneath it. As the Uziel began its descent, it fired its twin PPCs straight into both missile boxes, creating dual explosions that ripped one of the Clan mech's arms off. The Uziel received a large laser to the center torso for its trouble, but retaliated with an SRM salvo and some well placed machine gun blasts that took off the remaining arm.

"Good try," the Uziel's pilot called out, as he disengaged, zigzagged to avoid return fire, then turned back once his PPCs came back online. "But this ends now." An Alpha Strike to the Mad Cat's center torso sent it crashing to the ground, exploding in a rather luminous fireworks display.

"Oh my God," Miriassi "Angel" Kessler exclaimed as she and Rich "Ace" Hughes stepped out of their simulators. "That was so embarrassing! Sir, I swear I was having an off day, I'm better than that, honest!"

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart," Rich replied. "You're hired." Upon seeing the girl's puzzled expression, Rich nodded and paused to explain. "I really wasn't expecting you to be able to kill me, even if you're in a heavier Clan mech. This was more a test of how you fight." Rich grimaced as his mind went to the footage of Rufus' simulated and real battles. He really should have paid more attention to those. The kid had potential, but it was apparent that he lacked aggression and the ability to think outside the box.

"Now, in the beginning, you tried to soften me up from range. When that didn't work due to my PPCs messing with your sensors, you tried to close distance. When I began using my superior maneuverability, you used your weight advantage to tank a few hits so you can go in and get a solid missile lock. It's that aggressiveness and that ability to keep cool and try other things when the original plan stops working that keeps you alive. Being a good MechWarrior is more than just piloting skill. There are a lot of other factors involved as well. If you're a bad pilot, that can be fixed with training. If your have bad…mentality, for lack of a better term…you become a danger to yourself and those around you. Now go back, pack up your things, and meet us at the Highlanders Dock A."

_

* * *

Main Bridge of Talon Dropship Adler_

_Deep Space_

_7 May 3063_

"Commander, there are several contracts available on Halloran V," Castle said as she approached Rich, who was currently checking his dress uniform in the mirror. "I've taken the liberty of leaving the relevant files on your desk for you to review at your leisure."

"Thank you, Castle," Rich replied. "Any word on how Silverman's doing?"

"His condition is stable, though it will be months before he is able to see action again."

"Hmm. We should be able to stick it out, I suppose. He has gotten my offer, yes?"

Castle nodded. The offer in question was rather simple – should Shredder recover, he could either remain in Rich's employ, or he could leave with three months' back pay. "Oh, one more thing," Castle added.

"Yes?"

"I noticed that your last additions to our outfit have been members of a certain population demographic," Castle said with a grin. "Is the Ace a sampler of buffets, so to speak?"

"Heh, of course not," Rich replied, his face an overexaggerated mask of seriousness. "My relations with the ladies under my command are strictly professional. They're like men to me." He paused a bit, then smiled and added a qualifier. "Men that smell nice, and are fun to be around, and I wouldn't mind taking to the movies."

_

* * *

Transpax Production Facility, Code Name "Offshore"_

_Halloran V_

_14 May 3063_

"Stay frosty, Spectre Lance," Rich called out as his lance engaged the swarm of vehicles that threatened to overwhelm the base defense.

"We've upgraded to Calliopes," the officer in charge of turret defense had said. _Fat load of help that did them_, Rich thought, and laughed a little at the quote that Hannibal had privately sent him after that particular boast. _Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man. Anything built by man, can be destroyed by him._ Rich grinned. He liked Hannibal. The man wasn't much of a conversation starter, but he knew his stuff.

"Turret grid at 50% strength!" came the frantic call for aid. "We're picking up two destroyers, _Arbold_ and _Harrington_ coming at Alpha! One of them's launched a bomber squadron!"

"Don't get your panties in a wad, Control," Rich shot back into the comm. "We're on it. Castle, do we have any air support?"

"Yes sir," came the reply. "Squadron of fighters inbound. Watch the skies."

"Gotcha," Rich replied. "Spectre Lance, as soon as you've halved the remaining vehicles, focus fire on the _Arbold_." As he said this, chained PPC shots from his Uziel took out two patrol boats, and a wave of LRMs blew a hovercraft out of the water. Angel had been given the Argus for this mission, while Hannibal and Blaze took the Hellspawns. The arrangement worked rather well – Rich, Hannibal, and Blaze were skilled enough to fully exploit their maneuverability and jump jets, and the heavier armor of the Argus made up for Angel's lack of skill. Or rather, her lack of skill compared to the other Iron Eagles.

"Take that!" Angel exclaimed as a light Gauss slug plowed through a hovercraft.

"Nice shot," Rich called out. "All right, let the turrets handle the rest. We got a ship to sink." He immediately began circle-strafing the _Arbold_, watching with glee as his lancemates did likewise. "According to Castle, that thing mounts LRMs and a Long Tom. Close in, and it won't be able to target you too well." The warship went down rather quickly. Very few things can survive sustained fire from a full lance of mechs.

"On to the _Harrington_," Rich ordered. "Close up and form on me."

"Sir, I'm going to try something," Blaze called out. "Cover me."

"Alright," Rich replied. "Spectre Lance, Blaze is going to show off for us. Try to keep her in one piece."

_

* * *

Command bridge of HPS Harrington_

_Halloran V_

_14 May 3063_

"They don't pay us enough for this shit," Captain Robert Leben of the Halloran V naval militia growled, bracing for impact as lasers, missiles, and autocannon rounds slammed into his vessel. Suddenly, something caught his eye.

"Enemy mech heading straight towards us! Bearing, 68 degrees, range, 149 meters and closing, speed, 89 kph!" The ship's radar officer yelled.

"What are you, dense? Concentrate fire and kill it!" Leben ordered.

"No can do, sir!" replied the weapons officer. "It's too close for the Long Tom, and the other mechs keep knocking our LRMs out of the way! The only thing we got is our CIWS–"

"Then use it!" Leben roared. The little Artoos – no one knew why they were called that any more, though it was rumored that the name came from some old Terran film – turned towards the incoming Hellspawn and opened fire. However, the things were designed to shoot down missiles, not mechs, and while they scratched the Hellspawn's armor, no lasting damage was done. Leben's eyes bulged as he saw the Hellspawn fire its jump jets. "What the–"

Leben never had the time to finish his sentence as the Hellspawn crashed through the _Harrington_'s command bridge, leaving dead and wounded crewmen in its wake. Leben himself was pinned beneath one of the mech's legs.

"They don't pay us enough for this shit," he gasped out as the mech fired its jump jets again, clearing itself of the sinking vessel and sending a blast of burning exhaust throughout the area.

_

* * *

Mess Hall of the Talon Dropship Adler_

_Halloran V_

_14 May 3063_

"Holy shit, Amber, that was fucking awesome," Rich laughed as his lance convened around the dining table. "Another round to Amber, 'Blazin' away at the nav'!" Glasses clinked, and much merriment was had. Things were looking up after the disastrous convoy raid on Eaton. Upon arriving at Halloran, his company had successfully completed a search-and-destroy mission for Corvatti that netted them a Puma and a Hellspawn and a prior oil rig defense mission for Transpax. The most recent mission made three successes in a row, and Rich had decided to celebrate the occasion by hiring one of the best catering services on the planet. _A little expensive,_ Rich thought as he bit into his steak, savoring the juices and washing it down with a little wine, _but worth every last cent._

"Seriously, I was surprised. And impressed. You really like DFAs, huh?" Rich asked.

"Yes sir!" The redhead replied. "Just keep us fed like this, and I'll be sure to surprise you more often."

"Heh, I'll keep that in mind," Rich said with a chuckle. "All right, I'd like to take the time now to recognize the newest addition to our outfit, Miss Miriassi 'Angel' Kessler." He poured everyone else a drink, then turned to Angel. "She of the impeccable aim, especially with that light Gauss of hers." Angel beamed at the praise. "You're learning fast, missy. Keep up the good work. Toast!"

Rich then poured a third drink and walked over to Castle. "A special thanks to quite possibly the most valuable member of our unit, she who provides us with the contracts that keep us fed and our weapons running." He smiled as he looked into Castle's eyes and raised his glass. "To Momma Castle!"

Castle smiled. "I am only doing my duty, Captain Hughes."

"Yeah, but you do it good," Rich replied. "I almost feel sorry for the merc outfit that you would have been assigned to if I hadn't come along."

Finally, a fourth drink was poured. "This one goes to one of ours who is not with us on this day." Rich took a sip, then dumped the rest on to the floor. "Jacob Silverman, call sign 'Shredder'…here's to a safe and speedy recovery."


	6. Chapter 5: The Eagle and the Snake

**A/N**: so, I honestly don't know whether to keep referring the lancemates by their call signs or by their actual names. It seems to make little sense to address each other by their call signs off the field, yet if I refer to them by their actual names, very few people would get it since the game refers to them by call sign. Anyways…

_

* * *

PT Compartment of Talon Dropship Adler_

_Halloran V_

_16 May 3063_

"So, the Captain's gone to Corvatti to get our paychecks?" Angel asked, her question punctuated by the rapid thumping of her working a speed bag.

"That's right," Hannibal replied from his treadmill. He shook his head. Their last mission had been to escort three artillery pieces to a Dropship. However, one of the artillery vehicles was destroyed when it got caught in a melee between the Iron Eagles and the convoy raiders, and now Corvatti was refusing payment.

"Bloody ingrates," Blaze spat, accentuating her point with a rather fierce shin kick at a heavy bag. "My Hellspawn got shot up taking a missile salvo for them, and they won't even foot the repair bill."

"To be fair, it _was_ you who stepped on the destroyed vehicle in the first place," Hannibal said, grinning.

"And it was the driver who did not have the sense to stay back while the metal giants were stomping about and slugging it out," Blaze shot back, glaring daggers at her lancemate. "I hate escorting convoys." She then turned to Angel. "At least your 'Mech is still in one piece."

"Only because Captain Hughes has me taking long-range support," Angel replied, then hung her head. "He's giving me the heavier 'Mechs, too and I don't even know why…I mean, both you and Hannibal – er, Daniel – are better shots than me."

Blaze started to say something, but Hannibal cut her off. "If I were to guess," he said. "It would be something like this. You see, in general, there are two ways to go about arming a unit. You can either give the best equipment and the best guns to your best people, or you can give it to the new recruits. The former ensures you have a core of extremely talented people, but it also means that every veteran you lose ends up being an irreplaceable loss, since the chance of a newbie surviving battles in second-rate gear is low. The fact that such a policy discourages potential recruits just makes things worse. After all, why join a company that gives you bad equipment when there are companies that give you good ones?"

Angel and Blaze both nodded. Hannibal continued.

"The latter plan has the obvious danger of your good people being at higher risk, but it also has a better chance of keeping more people alive long enough for the newbies to develop into veterans. I could be wrong, but if I were running this unit, that's exactly how I'd do things."

"Nice analysis, Daniel," Rich said, as he and Castle entered the room. "At ease," he added. "Alright, I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we're getting paid." A cheer rose through the room as Rich said this. "The bad news is, half of it's been docked because Corvatti's drivers were too retarded to stay the fuck off a battlefield."

"There is a silver lining, however," Castle added, a tinge of sarcasm noticeable in her voice. "Corvatti's offered us a chance to, ahem, 'redeem' ourselves." She rolled her eyes at this, eliciting a chuckle from Angel. "There is a militia base they need destroyed, for which they are paying us 2.5 million. Also, it appears that the naval militia has hired Burr's Black Cobras. If we can take them down, such an act should raise our standings on MercNet."

"So, any objections?" Rich asked. This had almost become a tradition of his. Every time before a mission, Rich would ask his team's input as to whether or not to accept a mission. It actually worked out rather well – not only did it give him more diverse opinions as to the pros and cons of a mission, it also made his subordinates feel as if they were actually a part of the decision making process instead of a pack of mindless obedient grunts. There was another benefit as well – if things went south, he could always argue that no one had raised any objections to the mission, so shut up, stop throwing blame around, and start thinking of ways to salvage the situation.

"None, sir," Angel said.

"Sounds good to me," Hannibal nodded.

"As long as there aren't any more idiots we need to protect," Blaze added.

"Heh, no worries there," Rich laughed. "This one's pretty much just 'stomp around and kill shit. Very well. Castle?" Rich looked to his "diplomatic relations officer," as she had been dubbed.

"I shall inform our contact at Corvatti right away," Castle replied, then left the room.

_

* * *

Outskirts of Halloran Militia Base, Designation "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot"_

_Halloran V_

_18 May 3063_

"Spectre Lance, be advised," Castle's voice rang out loud and clear over the comms of the Rich's lance. "There is a hole in their defense grid at Nav Alpha. You should be able to take out the generator powering the turrets while remaining undetected."

"Gotcha," Rich replied. "Spectre Lance, go radar passive, then form on me and head to Nav Alpha." _Man, good thing I bought these long-range 'Mechs_, he thought. His current lance consisted of his Uziel (now with two ER PPCs) and Angel's Argus, plus a new Catapult for Blaze and a Bushwacker for Hannibal. Blaze chafed at having to take the long-range 'Mech at first, but one look at the damage its custom-fitted Arrow IV Thunderbolt launcher could do had her sold. Hannibal's 'Mech, meanwhile, was outfitted with a series of C-STRKs, an ER Large Laser, and a light Gauss rifle, as well as a Beagle Active Probe.

Spectre Lance soon converged on the ridge. "Everyone got the generator in their sights?" Rich asked. After a series of affirmatives, Rich then continued. "Alright, on my signal, we light her up. After that, we disperse and take out the rest of the defenders, then move on to the buildings. Anything that attacks you, kill it." Rich paused to take a breath and clear his mind and steady his hand. "Kill on three…one…two…three!" Two PPC blasts, two light Gauss slugs, a Thunderbolt, several laser blasts, and multiple salvoes of LRMs impacted squarely with the building, reducing it to smoldering ashes. "Beautiful," Rich whistled. "Alright, they're still in panic mode now. Disperse and take some potshots at those vehicles."

Below them, various tanks scuttled about, turrets searching for their as-of-yet unseen assailant. _Like ants on a hot pot_, Rich thought, using the Capellan saying. By this time, his PPCs had recharged, and he fired a staggered blast that tore into a Bulldog and slagged the Myrmidon behind it. A Gauss slug destroyed another tank, and yet another Myrmidon was engulfed in a giant explosion that could only have come from one of Blaze's Thunderbolts.

"Watch the ammo on that thing, Blaze," Rich called out. "T-Bolts are meant for killing 'Mechs. Don't waste them on these vehicles."

"Roger Spectre," Blaze replied, a little disappointed. Suddenly, she and the rest of Rich's lance simultaneously received a transmission.

"This is Lieutenant Dunman of Burr's Black Cobras. You are in violation of a Halloran Protectorate outpost. Surrender now and we'll let you leave with your 'Mechs."

"Bull," Rich called back. "We'll leave with our 'Mechs, all right – and yours too, strapped to the back of a salvage track." As he switched his radar back to active mode, he saw that the enemy lance consisted of two Bushwackers and two Chimeras. "Spectre Lance, go active," Rich called out to his lance. "You know the drill. Focus fire on the closest target!"

"Spectre, do note that you only have to destroy the buildings," Castle noted over the comm. "There is nothing in the contract about destroying the Cobras."

"Then that means there's nothing about how much of a cut Corvatti get to take from our salvage, right?" Rich called back as he fired a salvo of LRMs at a Bushwacker and a PPC blast at each of the two Chimeras, temporarly getting their attention. "Besides, I don't want to have to worry about taking damage while I kill the target buildings. Good shot," he called to Blaze, who scored a direct hit with her Thunderbolts straight into the Bushwacker's torso. "Spectre Lance, into the base!" Rich ordered as a Gauss slug from Hannibal finished it off, the first 'Mech kill of the battle.

"Lt. Dunman, this is Captain Hughes of Hughes' Iron Eagles. You are in violation of my field of vision. Surrender now and I just might let you leave with your 'Mechs," Rich crowed back. Just then, return fire impacted with his 'Mech, rocking it. As Rich struggled to keep his balance, he heard an angry retort from the opposing officer.

"Why you little upstart! I'll show you just who you're fucking with!" Dunman roared back and trained his guns on Rich's Uziel. He was about to hit the fire button when his targeting reticule suddenly turned blue when Rich managed to zigzag his way out of it. Suddenly, he realized the predicament his lance was in. Rich had managed to get inside the base. There, he could fire back with impunity, but Dunman would have to control his return fire, lest he accidentally damage the base that he was supposed to be protecting.

"You have no idea how big a hornet's nest you just kicked," Dunman called back as his 'Mech took a few laser blasts and a Thunderbolt to the center torso, forcing him to punch out. "Just wait, you'll get what's coming to you."

_

* * *

Mess Hall of Talon Dropship Adler_

_Halloran V_

_18 May 3063_

"You have no idea how big of a hornet's nest you just kicked," Rich whined, laughing as he re-enacted Dunman's indignant reply. "Man, how melodramatic can you get?" He then turned to Blaze. "So, how'd you like that Catapult now?"

"The Thunderbolt is…very nice, sir," Blaze replied. "How much was it?"

"Yeah, that they are," Rich replied. "Fen Cheng likes to use them all the time," he said, recalling his days as a Solaris contender. "Got himself a Vulture that dual-wields 'em. Tore me up pretty bad the first time I went up against him. I think he's actually going for the Championship this season. As for the price tag, it's a little over 1 mil." Rich grinned upon seeing the shock on Blaze's face. "Hey, only the best for my Iron Eagles."

_

* * *

MacCumhaill Field Hospital, Northwind Highlanders Base Alpha_

_Outreach_

_20 May 3063_

Jacob "Shredder" Silverman laid prone in his bunk, surrounded by the sterile lights and décor his hospital room. Next to him was an arrangement of flower vases, six of them, one from each member of Rich Hughes' company and Castle, plus one from the brown-haired woman sitting by his bedside.

A nurse entered the room. "Ye've been 'ere fer hours, Miss Maglioni," she said to the woman. "Ye really oughta get some rest."

"I'll be fine, thanks," Maglioni replied, taking a sip of her cup of coffee. "Besides, I've been here for hours, he's been here for weeks," she added, her eyes moistening as she said this.

"If ye insist," the nurse replied. "Tis a lucky man ta 'ave a gell like you by 'is side."


	7. Chapter 6: Mission Accomplished

**A/N:** Man, don't you love how each chapter is a little bit longer than the previous one?

_

* * *

Mechbay of Talon Dropship Adler_

_Halloran V_

_1 June 3063_

"More 'Mechs, sir?" Castle asked as she entered the 'Mechbay, where Rich was overseeing the paint job on a Thanatos and a Black Knight. "You know, you were fortunate that Corvatti let you keep all the salvage from the last mission." Indeed, the only reason Rich's company was able to afford so many new 'Mechs was simply because he sold off most of the salvage. Quality over quantity, he would say. Judging by the Iron Eagles' track record, it seemed like a sound practice.

"Heh, I think you deserve more credit for that one than Lady Luck," Rich replied.

"Oh, how so?" Castle asked with a grin.

"Well, I was just talking to one of the Corvatti pilots, 'Bird-Dog' I think his call sign was," Rich said. "It appears that a certain someone 'accidentally' left the comm button open when I said something to the effect of 'Corvatti better not screw us again, else they'll find out just how mercenary we can be.'"

Castle laughed. "Well, the militia has reached an agreement with Corvatti, thanks to your efforts. However, it appears that Transpax is still having trouble with them. They've hired us to defend their Deneb facility once again."

"Really now." Rich pursed his lips. "This one better not turn out like that damn convoy raid. I'll get the company together."

_

* * *

Transpax Offshore Drilling Facility, Designation "Deneb"_

_Halloran V_

_3 June 3063_

"Man, this place turned into a ghost town," Rich noted as his Thanatos entered the area. Behind him was Blaze in her Catapult, Hannibal in his new Black Knight, and Angel in her Argus. "Hello? Control?" He called out on his comm. "Anyone there?"

"Th-this is Corporate Officer Smedlin," a panicky, high-pitched voice drawled. "I'm bringin' the Calliopes on line."

"What the hell?" Angel complained. "Isn't there someone higher we could talk to?" A month or so of hanging around Rich resulted in her picking up some of his mannerisms.

"I'm sorry ma'am, all the seniors done evacuated," Smedlin replied.

"Heh. Lowest brass on the totem pole, eh," Rich commented. "Don't worry Smedlin, we'll handle it. You just worry about taking out any vehicles that miraculously make it out alive."

"A-alright," Smedlin didn't seem assured. Rich ignored it. "I'm not picking anything on my radar. Something's jamming it." Now he seemed even less assured.

"Spectre, I have a clear feed from the SatComm. I'll provide and update you with information," came Castle's reassuring voice. There was a pause. Then– "Patrol boats coming from the north! Range, 1200 meters, speed, 40 knots!"

"Spectre Lance, prepare for battle!" Rich called out, pushing his mech's throttle to max and firing his jump jets to get a clear shot. He had loaded his 'Mech with mainly close-range weapons save for two Clan LRM5 launchers and an ER large laser, and he had to make his shots count. As a patrol boat melted from a laser blast and several missiles, Rich grinned switched the comm to address the Transpax officer. "Hey Smedlin, how about we make a bet? I'll buy you a drink for every enemy unit that gets past us."

"You're on!" That seemed to calm his nerves. As the last of the boats were destroyed, Rich gave the order to retreat back to the center of the production facility.

"Spectre, be advised," Castle noted. "More boats and hovercraft coming from the south at a similar vector."

"Gotcha," Rich replied, then switched the comm. "Hannibal?" Hannibal had stayed at the center of the facility to guard against unexpected attacks. It worked rather well, since it allowed him to cover the area with his ER PPCs.

"On it," Hannibal replied, targeting the closest vehicles. "And Saint Kerensky pitched his torso up high, saying, 'O Lord, bless this thy Particle Projection Cannon, that with it thou may blowest thine enemies into tiny bits in thy mercy,'' he recited, taking careful aim. "And the Lord did spake, saying, 'first, thou shalt remove the safety, then thou shalt wait for the targeting reticule to turn red. Red shall be the color of the reticule, and the color of the reticule shall be red. Blue shall it not turn, neither turn it green, excepting that it then proceedeth to red. Lavender is right out. Once red, being the color of the enemy's IFF be reached, then fireth thy Particle Projection Cannon at thy foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it,'" Hannibal finished, grinning as two hovercraft exploded in a fiery blaze as they tried to reach the coast. "_The Remembrance_, Chapter 2, verses 9-21."

"Did Hannibal just make a funny?" Rich chuckled as he got a lock on a patrol boat and let fly with an LRM salvo. However, he missed with his large laser. "Huh. Looks like that's one drink for you," he called out to Smedlin.

Suddenly, Rich got another call on his comm.

"Is this the infamous Spectre?" A sharp female voice demanded.

"Yeah, that's me," Rich replied. "Any reason you need an introduction?"

"Dragonfly here. Just making sure I was swatting the right fly," the voice replied. "You will pay for what you did to Lt. Dunman's lance!"

"Woman, please," Rich replied, "I don't even pay for what I do to my own lance." He paused for a bit, thinking. "Okay, I actually do pay for that, but you know what? Your metaphor doesn't make much sense either." _I mean, honestly,_ Rich thought. _When was that last time you saw a dragonfly swat anything?_

"Spectre, be advised, the carrier Harkness has launched a full bomber wing," Castle called out.

"Any way we can get Harpy in here?" Rich asked. Harpy was the Transpax Corporations own aerospace fighter unit that had proven rather helpful during a prior engagement.

"Negative. You're on your own for this one," Castle replied. "Although you should be able to rest easy knowing that this seems to be the last of the militia forces. Good hunting, commander."

"Sir, I think the Calliopes can handle the air units," Hannibal added. "We should probably focus on taking out the enemy 'Mechs."

"Makes sense," Rich replied as he looked over and saw that the enemy lance consisted of an Argus, a Bushwacker, a Wolfhound, and an Uziel, all approaching from the sea. "All units, attack the closest target," he ordered. "Me, I'm going after Dragonfly."

Hannibal replied with twin ER PPC bolts that tore into the enemy Uziel. For his trouble, he was greeted with the Uziel's own PPCs. A Thunderbolt and some C-Streaks from Blaze knocked it around, however. Angel then fired all of her long-range weapons at it, and the combined force of a light Gauss slug, an ER large laser, and 15 Clan LRMS plus another PPC bolt from Hannibal knocked the Uziel over. Rich paid it no mind, instead heading for the sea and making all speed for the Argus.

A PPC from the Wolfhound lanced at him, scorching some of the armor on his Thanatos. An AC10 slammed into his 'Mech's leg, and more autocannon rounds from the Argus that was now retreating impacted with his torso. It was not enough to take Rich out, but it still took concerted effort on his part to keep his 'Mech steady.

"You're not the only one who can use focus fire," Dragonfly called out.

"Heh. Don't get cocky, little girl," Rich replied as he regained balance, turned his torso and pumped twin LBX-10 blasts at the Wolfhound, followed by a blind LRM salvo at the still retreating Argus. He then jetted up and fired his lasers at the Bushwacker, melting some the armor on one of its arms into slag. "Better people than you have tried to put me down and failed. You're just a wee bit out of your league here."

"Target is toast!" came Blaze's triumphant cry. One of her Thunderbolts had torn off the Uziel's leg, and an Alpha Strike from Hannibal and Angel had destroyed the other one.

"That'll make some good salvage," Angel commented.

"Spectre Lance, pick a target and fire at will," Rich ordered. "Use this to hone your accuracy."

"Ladies first," Hannibal offered.

"Why thank you, Hannibal," Blaze replied, her eyes filled with savage battle-light. "Wolfhound's mine." To accentuate this point, she took to the air again with her jump jets, landing directly in front of the lighter 'Mech. PPC and pulse laser fire combed Blaze's Catapult, melting armor where they hit, but she ignored it and replied with a series of C-STRKs and laser blasts that pushed the Wolfhound back. As the Wolfhound's pilot struggled to maintain balance, Blaze managed to get a lock and immediately put a Thunderbolt into its center torso, destroying the light 'Mech. "Who the hell do you think I am!?" Blaze crowed victoriously.

Hannibal, meanwhile, was engaged in a Circle of Death with the enemy Bushwacker, both of them trading blows. Suddenly, a friendly blip appeared on his radar. Hannibal turned his head to see Angel running into the fray.

"Mind if I cut in?" Angel asked as she lashed out with her few close-up weapons. It was not enough to damage the Bushwacker in any meaningful way, but it did catch the enemy 'Mech's attention and break its rhythm. As the Bushwacker slowed and turned to meet this new threat, a series of PPC blasts and a Gauss slug punched several rather large holes in its armor. Before long, only Dragonfly's Argus remained, hobbling along due to an almost-gone leg. Its gun rack and missile pods had both been destroyed, and a dual LBX-10 shot from Rich's Thanatos finally knocked it over, cracking its Plexiglas cockpit in the process.

"Cobras lost their bite?" Rich called out. "Your reputation had me expecting more!" He fired up his jump jets once again, only instead of crushing the enemy 'Mech, the intent was to simply pin it underwater and let the cockpit flood. Hannibal realized what his CO was doing, and did the same.

There was a burst of pressurized air from below the sea as Dragonfly punched out. "You will regret this! Colonel Burr has a lot of friends," Dragonfly called back, the effectiveness of her threat somewhat undermined by her teeth chattering as she treaded the icy waters.

"Well, I hope for his sake that they're not all as useless as you are!" Blazed called out.

"Heh," Rich chuckled. "That's the last of them. Come on, let's get salvage in here. Smedlin, how many drinks I owe you?"

"Five, sir," Smedlin replied. "Thanks."

"No problem. You know, you guys could have saved a mint on evac fees if you had a little more faith in us," Rich announced.

_

* * *

Main Bridge of Talon Dropship Adler_

_Halloran V_

_8 June 3061_

"Castle, are there any new contracts in the area?" Rich asked.

"No, sir," Castle replied. "One of the problems with doing your job too well is that you soon find yourself out of work. It appears that the militia has agreed on a settlement with Transpax. I think they were afraid that you would start mounting counter-strikes."

"Hmph. They better be afraid," Rich grunted. "So, back to Outreach, I guess?"

Castle nodded. "Oh, it appears that someone leaked a holovid of our battle against the Cobras on MercNet. I'm sure you understand what this means for our business."

_

* * *

Northwind Highlanders Office of Human Resources_

_Outreach_

_9 June 3063_

Marcus "Hand Grenade" Davis sat at his computer, soaking up the information files that came in periodically. The Northwind Highlanders had placed him in charge of their nascent Mercenary Sponsorship Program, and as it kicked off, so did the number of emails from aspiring applicants increase. Marcus looked over the files, scanning the applicants for those with the best resumes and references.

"Ah, lookit tha time," he said to himself. "Oughta check on 'ow tha new units're doin'." After browsing MercNet for the better part of an hour, Marcus saw something rather interesting. He took one look at the description and smiled. Apparently, Hughes' Iron Eagles had just settled the dispute between Halloran V's naval militia and the various corporations on that planet, taking down Burr's Black Cobras while they were at it. Marcus had rather liked Hughes. The man was one of the first to apply, and Marcus had approved it. Now he saw that his judgment had paid off.

""What's this? A holovid?" Marcus's interest was piqued, and he immediately began the download.


	8. Chapter 7: 21st Century Combat

**A/N:** I advanced the dates of everything by two years, since there's no way I'm going to be able to get to 3067 at the current rate. Anyways…

_

* * *

PT Compartment of Talon Dropship Adler_

_Deep Space_

_18 July 3063_

"Man, glad we can finally get off that rock," Rich said as he and Hannibal rolled about in an octagonal cage. It was a recent acquisition; Rich had been an amateur Pankration competitor in his youth, and now he was introducing it to the rest of his company as a way to exercise, relax, and to blow off steam. It also served the purpose of building aggression and fighting spirit among the troops. "I've been dying to see something other than endless spans of ocean."

"Yeah," Hannibal replied, countering Rich's attempt at a triangle choke by placing an elbow near his neck, then slipping his head out from between Rich's legs. Both fighters stood back up and circled each other, looking for an opening. "Wonder how Silverman's doing," Hannibal added as he leaped in with a side kick.

_

* * *

MacCumhaill Field Hospital_

_Outreach_

_30 July 3063_

"Is that…the man I'm replacing?" Angel asked, staring at Jacob "Shredder" Silverman's prone form.

"Yeah," Rich replied. "We were supposed to raid what intel told us was a convoy guarded by light escorts."

"And as usual, intel was wrong," Hannibal added. "There was no convoy – just a mixed medium-heavy lance and a bunch of Demolishers. Just by that alone, they outweighed us."

"We took out one of their mediums, but then another lance showed up," Blaze continued. "Heavy lance led by an Assault. It was a miracle any of us made it out."

"Yup," Rich nodded. "If we have anyone to thank, it's Castle. She managed to get us out of their in time, although we took a lot of damage." He turned to Angel and shot her a wry grin. "And now you know why I try to buy the biggest 'Mechs on the market and up-armor them as much as possible." He sighed. There was little chance of that happening any time soon. With the FedCom Civil War heating up, the major players were buying up BattleMechs from suppliers everywhere, leaving little opportunities for small-time mercs like Rich. _Oh well_, Rich thought. _At least I was fortunate enough to have gotten a Heavy lance before the market dried up._

"Come on, Silverman," Rich said as visiting hours ended and he left the room. "You're tougher than this. Pull through."

_

* * *

Sea Dragoon Bar and Pub_

_Outreach_

_1 August 3063_

"Castle, what's the word on new contracts?" Rich asked. The core members of his unit were gathered around a private booth, deliberating on their next course of action. It was a rather slow night, and the bar was far quieter than usual.

"Well, the conflict on Eaton has heated up once more," Castle replied. "The loyalists and the separatists are still at each others' throats, although it appears that the final showdown in imminent. In other news, Capellan forces seem to be massing on the Chaos March once more, and the Styk Commonality has been sending out postings for mercenaries all over the Inner Sphere."

"Any preferences?" Rich asked, turning to his lancemates.

"I want to go back to Eaton," Blaze said. "I know that planet holds some bad memories for all of us, but it's my experience that there are two ways of dealing with bad memories. You can either let it consume you, or you could destroy it at its source."

"I'm leaning towards Styk, myself," Hannibal replied. "With Styk, we get more experience fighting a different enemy, and I think it may be closer, which saves us some transport fees."

"Good points both," Rich nodded. "Angel?" The girl did not answer, instead staring off into space. Rich tried again. "Kessler?"

"Huh?" Angel jumped up, startled. "Oh, sorry sir, I, uh, I don't know. I think–"

A loud crash cut her off as a group of eight rather heavily built men and women entered the room and made a beeline for the Eagles' booth. "Richard Hughes?" One of them, who appeared to be their leader, demanded.

"Yeah, that's me," Rich replied, standing up. "Who's ask–" He was interrupted by a right cross from the man that knocked him to the floor.

Immediately, the place became abuzz with activity. The man tried to pummel Rich while he was still on the ground, but Rich recovered, shot his legs up and wrapped them around his adversary's waist, then reached up and pulled down on his arms, secured a double overhook that held the man tight to his body and prevented his friends from stomping down from the top. All around him, there was pandemonium. Blaze lashed out with her long legs, smashing her shin into one of her assailants' face before being taken to ground by another. Hannibal and Angel were trading blows with two other thugs, and Castle was trying her hardest to defend herself while calling the local military police office.

"What the hell's this all about?" Rich demanded as he held his opponent tightly in the "guard" position, trying work his way into a submission.

"Back on Halloran V, you splattered some egg on Colonel Burr's face," the man replied as he struggled to push himself up. "And if Colonel Burr hates anything, it's egg on his face."

_So that's what this is about,_ Rich thought. By this time, his foe had freed one of his arms and was just about to throw another punch when Rich grasped the other arm's elbow, held on to his opponent's head, placed a foot on the man's hip, pushed to the side to avoid the punch (or rather, take it on his shoulder instead of his head), and wrapped his outside leg around the man's head, trapping him in an armbar. As Rich bucked his hips, he felt a satisfying *crack* and heard a scream of pain as the man's elbow snapped.

"Castle! Kessler! Worthy! Burke! Get out of here!" Rich yelled as he got back up, only to be tackled by another attacker. This time, he pushed down on his enemy's shoulder blades while keeping his own hips low and shooting his legs back, sprawling in time to prevent another takedown. From there, Rich began throwing knees to his opponent's head. "Go, go, go!"

"Sorry, I'm a little busy at the moment!" Blaze shouted back. She had managed to stand back up and was doing a decent job of keeping her attackers at bay with push kicks and jabs. As both of her assailants closed in, Blaze threw an elbow that clocked one of them in the jaw, but the other one had managed to take her to ground again, landing in her half-guard. _Dammit_, Blaze thought as she tried to ward off the blows coming from above and fought to sweep her opponent, _this is not good!_

Angel, meanwhile, had someone in a rear naked choke, holding on with strength borne of desperation even as others rained blows on her. Hannibal managed to tag one of the thugs with a one-two combo, but was forced back into a defensive position when his friends came to his aid. A stool smashed into Hannibal's back, and he turned around just in time to be greeted by another tackle that slammed his already injured back against a shelf. Realizing his current predicament, Hannibal grit his teeth, wrapped his legs around his opponent, and began fighting for dominant position in the clinch.

Castle had finished her call by this point. Someone tried to throw a haymaker at her, but she stepped aside and countered with a beautifully executed _seoi nage_ shoulder throw, following up by stomping the man in the head for good measure moving on to assist her comrades.

Rich's opponent, meanwhile, had managed to recover, and the two were currently trading elbows and knees from a Thai clinch. Suddenly, Rich became aware of another fighter that jumped into the fray, a blonde woman dressed in jeans, cowboy boots, and a Stetson hat who calmly waded in, tapped the shoulder of a rather large woman who was currently throttling Hannibal, and floored the attacker with a massive right hook. Out of the corner of his eye, Rich saw one of the downed thugs, the one he broke the elbow of, get up and rush the newcomer, the light flashing from his good hand betraying the presence of a knife.

"Watch out!" Rich shouted, but even the words escaped his mouth, the cowgirl turned around, drew a rather large and curious-looking revolver from her belt, and fired. Instead of the normal BLAM of a slug-thrower, this one emitted a fiery roar as it tore away a large part of the already injured thug's chest. Interestingly, the blast seemed to come from what appeared to be a secondary barrel below the primary barrel.

That ended the fight quickly. As the authorities arrived and the adrenaline wore off, Rich was suddenly aware of throbbing pain everywhere on his body. There was an odd itching sensation on his forehead. Rich reached up to feel what it was, only to stare wide-eyed at the blood staining his hand. "Dang," he breathed out. "Looks like that one elbow cut me up pretty bad." He looked around and saw that the rest of his company was just as battered and bruised as he was, and suddenly felt so very tired.

"Aw, fu-" Rich breathed out as everything went black.

_

* * *

Sarah Maglioni's Apartment_

_Outreach_

_5 August 3063_

Sarah Maglioni sat at her table, a bundle of mail in hand. She went through them, sorting them into their own piles. Suddenly, something caught her eye. Amidst the bills, advertisements, and solicitations, there was a rather important-looking package stamped with a Northwind Highlanders insignia. Sarah cautiously opened it, and breathed a sigh of relief. It was a check from one Richard Hughes, reimbursing her for Shredder's medical bills. Her brows furrowed as she opened the next letter, also stamped with a Highlanders insignia, and read its contents.

Sarah's face was blank with shock at first. Then, a scream of rage and grief rang through the complex as she collapsed on to the table, her face buried in her hands, sobbing. The letter had fallen to the ground, back into its folded state, but the first several lines were still visible.

"Dear Miss Maglioni,

It is with a heavy heart that we impart to you the news that Jacob Silverman was pronounced deceased at 0239 this morning…"


	9. Chapter 8: Human Resources

**A/N**: Most (if not all) of the techniques used in the last chapter are actual legitimate fighting techniques proven in UFC, K-1, PRIDE, etc. Also, I'm going to assume that medical technology is a lot better than it is nowadays (though it still couldn't do some things, in the case of poor Shredder). In other news, I'm not exactly the master of portraying emotion in characters…

_

* * *

CO's Quarters, Talon Dropship Adler_

_8 August 3063_

_Outreach_

Rich sat at his desk, staring dumbfounded at the letter he held in his hands. The bar fight from a week ago had left his unit banged up, but luckily no one had received much in the way of serious injuries. After a week at the MacCumhaill Field Hospital, the Iron Eagles were on their feet again, albeit with many of its members sporting not-quite-healed bruises.

Yet nothing prepared them for the loss of one of their own.

"Dammit," Rich breathed out as he closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. A tear rolled down his cheek. Angrily, Rich wiped it off, then pounded a fist into his desk. "Fucking Eaton. Fucking fucking Loyalists!" he shouted. In his fit, the next course of action for his unit suddenly seemed clear as day.

The Eagles would be landing on Eaton, and when they did, there would be hell to pay.

_

* * *

Free Market, Designation "Foxtrot Mike"_

_9 August 3063_

_Outreach_

If there was one thing a mercenary planet would have a lot of, it was that hallmark of capitalism, the free market, where anything and everything could be bought or sold, and a man's standing was determined solely by the amount of C-Bills in his bank account.

"Careful, commander," Castle warned Rich as the pair negotiated with a merchant. "No offense to you, Mr. Hawker, we are indeed pleased with the quality of weapons that you have provided for us in the past, but I'm sure you can understand if we are a little skeptical of your abilities to deliver on this particular offer, especially considering the rarity of the 'Mechs in question."

"I'm going to have to agree with my XO here," Rich added staring incredulously at the man called Hawker. "I mean, seriously. A Mad Cat _and_ a Vulture? You're shitting me, right?"

"No offense taken, miss," Hawker replied. "I understand the incredulity one might possess when faced with such an offer. However, I can assure you, Mr. Hughes, that I am not, as you put it, 'shitting you.' I am quite serious, the 'Mechs can be yours, and they will be delivered – if you want them and can pay for them, that is."

"Hmm. How much will they cost?" Rich asked. "Also, I'm planning to head on to Eaton ASAP. Think you can get them delivered there?"

"All in all, including taxes, maintenance, transportation fees, et cetera, things come out to roughly 25 million," Hawker replied. "As for Eaton, I can arrange for the 'Mechs to be shipped by one month's time, though it will cost you approximately another million." Just then, his cell phone vibrated. "Excuse me," Hawker said, then flipped it open. "Well, it appears I may be expecting another shipment soon. I do not know the details yet, but I do have confirmation that one of the 'Mechs is a Timber – ah, Mad Cat Mk. II."

"Well, I'll take the Mad Cat Regular and the Vulture, at any rate," Rich said, after some consideration. "As for the Mk. II…keep me posted." After about an hour of haggling, the deal was sealed.

"Well bargained and done," Hawker said, handing Rich back his credit card.

"I have a bad feeling about that man, commander," Castle said as the pair left for home. "His credentials check out, but something unsettles me about him."

"Think he's going to try to cheat us?" Rich asked.

Castle shook her head. "No. He has delivered on the Clantech for us before, and it was always on time. It's probably nothing, sir. But still, I can't help but feel there's more to that man than he lets on."

_

* * *

CO's Quarters, Talon Dropship Adler_

_10 August 3063_

_Outreach_

"Commander, there's someone here to see you," Castle's voice rang in on the comm.

"Send 'em up," Rich replied and was promptly greeted by a tall blonde woman dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt.

"Oh, hi!" Rich exclaimed as recognized her as the cowgirl from the bar. "Thanks for saving our asses back at the _Dragoon_, by the way. How're you doing? I'm Richard Hughes," Rich said, reaching out to shake the woman's hand. "Please, have a seat. What can I help you with?"

"I'm fine, suh," the woman drawled. "And don't worry about it, if anything you did me a favor. It's been a long time since I had a good tussle like that. Anyhoo, Sheila Devons at your service, and I'm here to sign on with your merc outfit."

"Ah." Rich nodded. Following Shredder's untimely demise, he had decided it was time to expand his unit. "Any reason you chose this particular company of the hundreds of other units out there? It's not exactly the most famous, and the job's not too glamorous either. I mean, I'm looking at your qualls, and it seems like you could easily kick some serious tail in an actual regular military unit. Plus, you'd get to run around in a pretty uniform."

"Easy, really," Sheila replied. "I tried the military once. Too much hassle, and if your CO was a bleedin' moron, well you couldn't very well just tell him so. Plus, in the military, you don't get to keep what you kill." She grinned a little at the last part. "As for other mercs, it's the same with the big-name units. And out of the small-name ones, well, any unit led by someone who rough-and-tumbles like you seems like a good one. Not to mention you're backed by the Highlanders, and they've got a reputation for paying higher than everyone else."

"Fair enough," Rich nodded. "Let's go a couple rounds in the simulators, and then we'll talk."

Rich had a peculiar way of evaluation a candidate's skills via simulator. The way it worked was simple: both people would choose whichever 'Mech they felt most comfortable with, and either the winner would drop a weight class or the loser would go up a weight class for four consecutive rounds. One of his techs had even written up a custom program that would score the outcome of each round by how much damage was dealt by each 'Mech, with certain multipliers applied for kills and weight class disparity. Sheila Devons had quite possibly the highest score of his entire unit; only Blaze came close. Yet she had a comparable price tag as well.

"Alright, seriously, you're probably one of the best 'MechWarriors I've ever seen," Rich gasped as he stepped out of his simulator, immediately reaching for a towel to wipe away the sweat on his brow. "Only one problem – I have 'Mechs coming in, but they won't be here for almost a month."

Sheila raised an eyebrow at this. "Ain't you got any in reserve?"

Rich shook his head. "The only reason we were able to afford those lovely machines you saw in the 'Mechbay is because I sell off most of my salvage. Quality, not quantity," he explained.

"Well, at any rate, I got one of my own, but it's got no weapons, so you're going to have to handle that part," Sheila replied. "Hellhound, one of them Clan 'Mechs."

"Really now?" Rich raised an eyebrow.

"Yup." Sheila grinned. "Keep what you kill."

"Nice," Rich chuckled. "Any call sign preference?"

Sheila thought for a bit. "Mustang," she answered.

_

* * *

MechWarrior's Quarters, Talon Dropship Adler_

_11 August 3063_

_Outreach_

The _Adler_'s living quarters were divided into two-person rooms, with private rooms for officers. However, Rich understood the need for one's subordinates to see their leader as one of them. As it stood, Rich and Hannibal shared a room, as did Castle and Mustang, and Angel and Blaze. It was now night, and the wind outside carried a slight tinge of moisture from the rain that had fallen the night before.

"Hey," Angel said from her bunk.

"Mmm?" Blaze grunted, drifting out of her slumber. "Miri, it's 0200. If you need to use the head, just be quiet about it."

"I need to talk to you about something."

Blaze wanted to tell Angel to shut up and go to sleep. She did not like being woken up, and she had a nagging suspicion that Rich was going to call up the entire company for some surprise PT in the wee hours of the morning. Still, Angel had become quiet and withdrawn ever since they had gone to visit Shredder, and news of the man's death just made things worse. Now, Blaze had been a lance commander in the Free Worlds League's armed forces before going merc, and she knew that very rarely did a personality shift ever mean anything good. Ignoring her body's complaints, Blaze got up, turned on the lights, and put on a pot of coffee.

"So, what's on your mind?"

_

* * *

CO's Quarters, Talon Dropship Adler_

_12 August 3063_

_Outreach_

"Enter," Rich said in response to a knock on his door. In walked a brown-haired woman with a roundish face and large eyes who stood stiffly at attention.

"At ease. Name?" Rich asked.

"Sarah Maglioni," the woman answered as she snapped into parade rest.

Rich's ears perked up at that name. "My condolences," he offered. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I want to sign on with your unit," Sarah responded. Rich stared, a little dumbfounded.

"Is…is this about Silverman?"

Sarah nodded. "Someone's going to pay," she replied, balling her fists in anger.

Rich sighed. "I don't think revenge is the best of all reasons to join a mercenary outfit," he began. "I know how you feel-"

Sarah cut him off. "With all due respect, Captain Hughes, I don't think you do," she replied. "Jacob and I…we've known each other since middle school. We were in love, Captain. When two soldiers are in love, they do everything to protect each other. And when they can't do that, they make sure that the one left behind can rest in peace." She paused, then took a different tack. "Besides, you gave Jacob an offer of continued employment. I think that would make an adequate compensation for the, ah, mental duress and anguish that such a tragedy has put me through?"

"Alright," Rich nodded. "Call sign?"

"Mags," Sarah replied, her eyes reddening a little. "It's what he used to call me."


	10. Chapter 9: Raid

**A/N:** Just played this mission again. Learned two things: 1. "Elite" difficulty is freaking hard and 2. Arrow IV Thunderbolts are horrendously imba. Anyways, Hawker is meant to justify where Rich gets his cool Clan toys, I hope his characterization wasn't too inconsistent with the fluff?

_

* * *

Planetary Militia Base "Echo"_

_Hukou, in the Chaos March_

_19 August 3063_

Colonel Mike Hoger of the Hukou Planetary Militia grinned as he inspected his 'Mechbay. A recent Capellan offensive had resulted in his forces steadily losing ground, but the recent Clantech he had managed to acquire was going to change that, especially the Mad Cat Mk. II that was currently being unloaded.

He was suddenly aware of one of his aides running at top speed at him. "What's the matter?" Hoger called out. "Are we under attack?"

"I…I don't know," the aide answered, panted heavily. "Sir, we've received a transmission from an unknown source. We don't know if they're hostile, but they asked specifically for the CO of this base, so…"

"Alright, I'll check it out," Hoger said, following the aide to his command center. "Bring me online," Hoger ordered. "This is Colonel Mike Hoger, of the Hukou Planetary Militia. Who am I speaking to?"

"I am Mordechai Hawker, of the _Comiatus_-class JumpShip _Carcharadon_, which naturally carries with it a DropShip and all of its associated military assets," came the reply. "It has come to my attention that you are in possession of several Clan 'Mechs. I am here to offer you a deal for them. Name your price, and we will consider."

"Yeah, well you can sod off," Hoger snapped, angrily. "Those 'Mechs are our only shot at beating back the Capellans, and I don't care how much cash you're offering, it's no good if the Capellans overrun us."

"There is nothing you would take for them, then? We do have Clantech weapons available, which you can mount on your own chassis," Hawker offered. "It would be more than enough, I think, to repel the Capellan forces on this planet."

"No. I ain't giving them up without a fight. You want them, you're going to have to raze this base to the ground before we let you have them." As the words came out of Hoger's mouth, he was suddenly hit by the feeling that perhaps it was not the best choice of words. A small chill crept up his spine as Hawker replied with a chuckle and ended the transmission with a phrase that confirmed Hoger's fears.

"Well bargained and done, Colonel."

_

* * *

Loyalist Base, designation "Bandit Hideaway"_

_Eaton_

_28 August 3063_

"Spectre Lance, Mustang Lance, do note that we have friendly vehicles in the area," Rich called out as his Thanatos stomped through the dark forests surrounding the secret base that was the target of this current mission. Both sides were more or less even where tanks were concerned, but the Loyalists had a lance of 'Mechs guarding the base as well, which was why Rich's Iron Eagles were hired. "Watch those reticules before you fire."

"Spectre, I have the terrain mapped out," Castle said over the comm. "There is a hilltop overlooking the base. It's quite steep, but a jump-capable 'Mech should be able to get on top of it."

"Man, what kind of idiot builds a base next to a freaking sniping post," Rich grumbled. Suddenly, two PPC bolts lanced out from the hill, one striking Rich's center torso, the other one impacting against Hannibal's leg. "What the fuck?" Rich shouted as he fought to keep his 'Mech steady. "Shit! They must have been running passive. All jump-capable 'Mechs, move in to engage." Just then, another stream of missiles rained from the hill, knocking Angel's torso about 90 degrees as she tried to aim and eliciting a sharp yelp from the girl.

"Angel, are you all right?" Rich shouted into his comm.

"Yeah," Angel replied, a little shakily. "Hit my head on one of my display monitors."

"I guess they're not as dumb as we thought," Blaze called out as she fired her jump jets and let loose with a PPC bolt. She had traded 'Mechs with Hannibal prior to the mission, and was now in a Black Knight. "I see what looks like an Uziel and a Catapult," she radioed.

"Angel, take cover while we clear that hill," Rich ordered, pushing his throttle to max and firing his jump jets. A savage grin appeared on his face as he got a visual on his two targets, only to disappear as the Catapult launched another LRM salvo that caught his Thanatos in mid-flight, tipping it over and sending it crashing into the ground.

"Captain!" Angel called out in alarm.

"Don't worry about it," Rich replied as he struggled to get back up. _Jesus_, he thought. _Barely two minutes into this shindig and we're already taking damage. _Just then, a barrage of missiles crashed into the hill, tearing out large chunks of earth.

"Dammit, Hannibal, watch where you're shooting!" Rich yelled into his comm. "Those missiles don't come cheap!"

"Wait for it," Hannibal replied. A second later, the Catapult came tumbling off, the ground beneath its feet having been transformed into a crater by Hannibal's barrage. It tried to fire its jump jets in an attempt at righting itself. Instead, it crashed next to Rich right as he managed to get his Thanatos upright. Without a second thought, Rich buried two LBX shots, a 20 and a 10, into its center torso before Mustang hopped in, adding a third LBX-10 shot.

"Deny your opponent his footing, and you will go far," Hannibal called out as he, Mags, and Blaze jetted to the top of the hill to engage the Uziel.

"Smartass," Rich grinned as he and Mustang double-teamed the Catapult. Realizing its predicament, the Catapult pilot fired off a blind salvo of LRMs, then tried to run back towards the base until Mags tagged it with an ER PPC shot to its already heavily damaged center torso, giving her the first kill of the evening. Meanwhile, the Uziel managed to escape, although not unscathed.

"See that giant hole in its right torso? That was me," Blaze gloated through the comm.

"Don't get too cocky," Hannibal added. "You got a pretty big hole in your right torso as well."

"Spectre, I am picking up two additional enemy 'Mechs on the move," Castle radioed in. "A Hellspawn and an Argus. Looks like they're here to reinforce their friend."

Rich cursed as he pondered the situation. "Hannibal, Blaze, Mags, hold the high ground. Mustang, you and Angel are going to relieve our friends the Separatists. We got two heavies and a medium plus high ground, which should be enough to handle things," he ordered as he pushed on his throttle and headed for the tangle of red on his radar. A laser turret tried to stop his advance, only to be silenced by Hannibal's Thunderbolts, Blaze's PPCs, and Angel's Gauss rifle.

"Suggestion, sir?" Hannibal called.

"Shoot," Rich replied.

"Go for mobility kills," Hannibal said. "Disable them so you can circle around and pop them in the rear. Alternately, if you have jump jets, try to hit the tanks from the top. Their armor is weak there as well."

"Hmm, good thinking," Rich said. "You heard the man – Mustang, Angel, engage your closest target." A PPC blast slammed into his Thanatos, disrupting the view from his HUD. "Son of a – you're paying for that one!" Rich yelled as he fired an LRM salvo at the tank, then followed up with a shot from his ER large laser that melted some of the armor plating on one of its treads. A friendly Bulldog that had been engaging the Myrmidon picked up on the weakness and lashed out with its own laser and SRMs, crippling that tread further. By this time, Rich had closed on the tank and fired his LBX-20s, completely immobilizing the Myrmidon.

"He's all yours," Rich called out to the Bulldog, who waggled its turret in acknowledgement, then proceeded to circle around the Myrmidon's rear and fire away. Rich, in the meanwhile, searched for his next target, a Demolisher II. An AC/20 shot smashed into his 'Mech's center torso, rocking it. Rich immediately fired back with everything he had, tearing large holes in the heavy tank. As both combatants circled each other, waiting for their weapons to recharge, there was suddenly a whirling noise, followed by an explosion as the Demolisher exploded into tiny bits from Angel's Gauss slug to the turret.

"Spectre, be advised," Castle called from the _Adler_. "It seems the Loyalist officers are trying to escape the carnage that you and the Separatists are causing. I've painted them on the radar for you, they should be showing up as green blips. We're being offered a bonus for destroying them, but doing so will likely raise our infamy rating with the MRBC."

"Heh, that's a hit I'm willing to take," Rich replied with a bitter chuckle. After all, the only reason he was revisiting this rock was to kick the shit out of some Loyalists. "Mags! You're fastest. Get off the hill and kill those transports," he called out as he pressed a few buttons on his console and sent them Castle's intel. "The rest of us will cover you."

"With pleasure," Mags replied. "Eat this!" She shouted as she unleashed a PPC bolt that reduced one of the fleeing limos to a smoldering wreck. A Bulldog noticed and immediately began firing at her Chimera with its lasers and missiles, melting off chunks of armor. Mags ignored it, instead charging straight for the tank. A PPC from Blaze impacted squarely with its turret, causing its next shot to veer off course.

"Wait, is she–" Rich was cut off as Mag's plowed through the damaged tank, then let loose a battle cry and searched for the next transport. Even though the maneuver brought parts of her armor down to red and threatened to overwhelm it with heat, the other tanks quickly back away, and for good reason. If Mags' Chimera blew, the ensuing meltdown would take a good chunk of them with it. Plus, there was something fundamentally terrifying about a giant robot that had just tore through one of your comrades and was staring in your direction. The fact that parts of it were on fire just made things worse.

A warning blip from his HUD yanked Rich back into reality as he saw a swarm of LRMs head straight for him, shredding most of the armor on his left arm and torso. "Holy shitfuck! Everyone to the hill!" Rich yelped, immediately pulling back to the hilltop where Hannibal and Blaze were perched. Four new blips appeared on his radar, and his heart sank upon recognizing the 'Mechs that had appeared: an Argus and two Catapults backed up by a Mauler. Just to add fuel to the fire, a squadron of attack helicopters entered the fray, sending missiles and laser fire that tore into the Separatist tank formation.

"Spectre!" came Castle's frantic voice. "I just got off the phone with Separatist command. The mission is off. I repeat, the mission is off!"

"Fucking-" Rich wanted to vent, but as he surveyed the battlefield, he knew there was nothing they could do. PPCs and lasers from Loyalist Myrmidons, Bulldogs and Quad Panzers illuminated the landscape, along with the occasional roar of AC/20 fire from Demolisher IIs that usually resulted in whatever was on the receiving end turning into a bright fireball. "Castle, where is extraction point?"

"I'm uploading it as we speak," Castle replied. "There. Make all speed to Nav Beta!"

The Mauler turned its torso and fired several bursts from its four Ultra AC/2s, rending chunks from her center torso. The shock of the attack, along with another hail of missiles from one of the Catapults, sent her 'Mech crashing to the ground. As the impact tossed Angel around her cockpit, one of her limbs ended up pressed against the comm button, allowing the rest of her lance to hear the screams of panic coming from her cockpit.

"Stay frosty, Angel!" Rich yelled. "Status!"

"Oh my God," came her fearful whimper. "I'm going to die. I'm really going to die."

"Come on, Angel! Get up!" No response. Rich cursed. "Iron Eagles, draw their fire! Mustang, Mags, take point!"

"Yes sir," Mustang drawled as she and Mags dashed through the battlefield, tagging the enemy 'Mechs with their miscellaneous assortment of weapons. Things were going decent until a MRM swarm from one of the Catapults impacted with Mustang's Hellhound, dropping its torso armor to the red. "Sir, I need to get out of there!"

"Alright, to the nav," Rich replied. Fortunately, Angel had gotten back up at this point and began limping along. "Angel, you gonna live?"

"Yes, sir," Angel replied, her voice wavering due to a combination of fear and damaged communication equipment. "A bit shaken, but I'm fine."

"Good. Stay frosty, girl," Rich said. "Don't worry, we're in good hands. Blaze and Hannibal are covering us, so you just worry about hauling ass to the nav." A Thunderbolt and several PPC bolts streaked by overhead, followed by LRMs and autocannon rounds from the other end.

_

* * *

CO's Quarters, Talon DropShip Adler_

_Eaton_

_29 August 3063_

Rich was in a rather foul mood. Not only had the last mission been a complete SNAFU, but he was also not getting paid. On top of that, Angel, Hannibal, and Mustang had all suffered injuries, and he himself had a sprained shoulder from when an LRM salvo slammed into the back of his Thanatos. The thought of the repair bills to follow only irritated him more.

Rich sighed. At least he knew the name of his enemy now. After talking to the Separatist, he learned that the two lances he had faced were one of the elite units on the Loyalists' side, the 27th Blutschwert.

"Hmph, at least we got paid a bonus for killing one of their 'Mechs. Dammit, 27th, this is the second time you've done this to me," he growled to no one in particular, remember the convoy raid that had gone south. "There will not be a third."


	11. Chapter 10: Stay Frosty

**A/N:** And now, to try something completely different…muchos apologies for the length compared to the previous chapters.

_

* * *

Governor's Mansion_

_Eaton_

_20 September 3063_

Miriassi "Angel" Kessler checked her weapons as her Argus stomped about the mansion of Jonathon Thayer, governor of Eaton. There had been rumors that the Loyalists were planning to kidnap him to force a resolution to the fighting, and the Iron Eagles had been hired to defend him and his family until they could be evacuated from their home. Fortunately for the Eagles, the Governor's mansion was surrounded by the mansions of three other important officials for security purposes, each one being of identical construction and appearance.

"Spectre Lance, Mustang Lance, this is Spectre Lead," Rich's voice buzzed from the comm. "Sitrep."

"This is Angel," she called back. "Nothing in my sector."

Each mansion had been designated with its own nav point, with the Governor's being Alpha. As far as Rich knew, the Loyalists did not know which was the real deal. Not wanting to give their opponents any indication, Hannibal had proposed allocating one heavy 'Mech to each mansion, with the two mediums as backup whenever one was attacked. There was talk that if the Eagles could keep all of the mansions protected, they would be paid a cash bonus.

Angel checked her weapons again. "Come on, Angel," she whispered to herself. "Stay frosty." Her heart pounded, as she had been assigned to the real mansion. Originally, Rich was going to take the spot, but it was argued that it might be natural to assume that the CO would be guarding the mission objective. Such an important post was naturally nerve-racking, especially for someone who just two weeks ago had a brief encounter with death.

"All units, be advised," Castle warned over the comm. "Six hovercraft moving in on Nav Point Gamma."

"Mustang Lance, this is Hannibal," the company channel buzzed. "Enemy force is three Condors and three Harassers. Requesting assistance, over."

"Mustang here," the woman replied. "Mobilizing to move in and assist."

Angel checked her radar again. No sign of hostiles. She breathed a sigh of relief. She had been enthusiastic about signing on with the Iron Eagles at first, but physically meeting the man she was replacing did much to undermine her previous enthusiasm, and seeing him in his deathbed made her realize that her chosen profession contained a rather high mortality rate. Her recent near-fatal encounter with the Blutschwert only exacerbated matters. As a result, Angel found it much harder to stay calm during battle, a fact that showed during one of the daily simulator rounds that Rich insisted on holding.

_

* * *

Training Room, Talon DropShip Adler_

_Eaton_

_12 September 3063_

"Dammit, Kessler!" Rich shouted as he exited the simulator pod. "You trying to get yourself killed? I've had novices back on Solaris that shot better!" He took several deep breaths, then continued. "You better get yourself squared away, MechWarrior. I didn't hire you just so you can buy it and take a 10-million C-bill 'Mech with you."

Angel said nothing, only slid down the side of her pod with her head in her hands.

"Look, I'm just trying to look out for your safety," Rich said, taking a softer tone. "If this is how you fight in training, it's just going to be worse when the missiles start flying."

"I…I'm fine, sir," Angel said, getting back up.

"No, you're obviously not," Rich replied. "You're much less aggressive than usual, and you've been spacing out as well. Something's eating you, and I need to know what it is."

_

* * *

Governor's Mansion_

_Eaton_

_20 September 3063_

Angel smiled. They wouldn't have to worry about the Blutschwert for this mission; the Separatists had launched several raids that had drawn that particular unit far away from the capital.

"That's the last of 'em," Mustang called out. "Mustang Lance is heading back to center." She switched to a private band. "How're you holding up, Angel?"

"Fine, thanks," Angel replied.

"Good. Just keep cool, y'hear?"

_

* * *

PT Compartment, Talon DropShip Adler_

_Eaton_

_13 September 3063_

Grunts of exertion filled the octagonal cage as Mustang and Blaze circled each other. Blaze lashed out with a Thai roundhouse, but Mustang ducked under it and shot in for a takedown. Blaze immediately responded by wrapping her legs around one of Mustang's legs, placing her in half-guard. As Mustang tried to move into side control, Blaze hooked her arm around one of Mustang's legs and performed a sweep that reversed their positions.

Angel watched the sparring with interest. She waited for the two to finish, then walked over.

"Howdy," Mustang said. "Wanna roll?"

"No, I'm good," Angel replied. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Mustang responded, wiping the sweat off her brow with a towel.

"Well, I've been having some problems lately. Amber knows about it," Angel explained, shooting a glance at Blaze. "I've been losing my edge. Not that I had much of one in the first place, but still. Anyways, I've been wondering, how do you deal with it all?" she asked. "You know, staying frosty through all the fighting and knowing you could, well, buy it at any moment…"

"I'm guessing my method didn't work?" Blaze asked with a grin.

"No," Angel shook her head and smiled wryly. "I think reciting that modified version of the 23rd Psalm only works if you really believe in it."

"Hmm, I don't think I can really help you there," Mustang answered with a shrug. "See, I never had that problem. Back when I was with the AFFC, they always looked at me funny 'cause I never felt nothin' but excitement when we were out shootin' stuff and getting' shot at. I don't know if it just means I'm a good soldier, or that I ought to have my head checked, but, honestly, I get more anxious watchin' game shows than I do when we were out fightin'."

Angel just stared at her blankly.

"And that is why we get along so well," Blaze laughed.

_

* * *

Governor's Mansion_

_Eaton_

_20 September 3063_

"Spectre Lance, I'm picking up a light lance headed for Delta," Castle's voice came in loud and clear on the comm.

"That's yours, Blaze," Rich called out. "Mustang, Mags, you know what to do."

"I can handle it on my own," Blaze protested.

"Balls. Four on one? Even if you can, I'm not letting you," Rich replied.

"Spoilsport," Blaze grumbled. She flexed her fingers, then moved her targeting reticule and spotted her first target, a Flea. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil," she recited, firing off two ER PPC bolts that tore gaping holes in its center torso. As the tiny 'Mech struggled to regain its balance, Blaze took aim, and fired her remaining ER PPC, spearing it right through the reactor core. A smile appeared on her face as she saw the Flea explode in a shower of fireworks and finished the Psalm. "For I am the undisputed queen bitch of the valley."

Meanwhile, Angel checked her radar again. Mustang was tangling with a Wolfhound, Mags with a Raven, and Blaze was tearing into an Osiris.

"What the hell?" Mags yelled in confusion. "My targeting reticule isn't picking up anything!"

"Must be an IFF Jammer," Mustang called back. "If it's shooting at you, kill it."

"With pleasure," Mags replied, lighting the Raven up with her ER PPC, then switching to the C-STRKs and machine guns. In response, the Raven retaliated with SRMs and medium lasers, gouging holes in Mags' 'Mech as it tried to close distance with the mansions. However, Mags held the weight advantage and soon began pumping a hail of bullets at the smaller 'Mech. One of them impacted with the Raven's cockpit, killing the pilot instantly. "Another one bites the dust," Mags announced, a little harshly.

A wry expression appeared on Angel's face. She had gone to Mags with her concerns, and still remembered the woman's short response.

* * *

'_Mechbay, Talon DropShip Adler_

_Eaton_

_15 September 3063_

"Well, you know about me and Jacob," Mags said as Angel approached her with her inquiry. "Until the day every single bastard who was responsible for taking him from me is dead," she said, "my heart has no room for fear, only hate."

Angel thought for a while. "But what then? After you avenge Shredder, what's going to happen? And what about before, you know–"

"Before Jacob bought it?" Mags laughed bitterly. "Fear was out of the question, because fear gets you killed, and we had to live for each other. As for what happens afterwards – well, I guess I'll cross that bridge once I get there."

_

* * *

Governor's Mansion_

_Eaton_

_20 September 3063_

"Mags, Mustang, sitrep and status," Rich called out.

"Enemy lance destroyed, sir," Mustang replied. "I'm fine as well. 'Mech's a little banged up. Nothing too serious, but my center torso and one of my legs are in the yellow. Damn Wolfhound got a PPC and wasn't shy about using it, either."

"I'm good as well, Spectre," Mags added. "I think I can handle maybe one or two more of these raids before the damage reaches critical."

"Mags, how close did that Raven get to the mansion?" Hannibal suddenly asked.

"Uh, 150 meters, give or take," Mags replied. "Why?"

Hannibal cursed, then switched on the company band. "They know which one's the Governor's house."

"Wait, what?" Angel called back. "How do you know?"

"Raven's a scout 'Mech," Hannibal explained. "And it's damn good at it. Notice how in that last engagement, the other 'Mechs seemed to exist solely to provide cover for the Raven to get close to the mansions? That must have been the reason."

_

* * *

Hannibal's room, Talon DropShip Adler_

_Eaton_

_16 September 3063_

"So, you got Amber, Sheila, and Mags?" Hannibal asked, putting down his copy of _The Art of War_.

Angel nodded. "I just need to ask you now. How do you do what you do? How do you stay so calm and collected?"

Hannibal laughed. "Want to know a secret, Miri? I get the shakes before every drop. But once that drop's over, and we hit the ground, the shakes are gone, and I can function like a normal soldier. For me, the key is to focus that fear into something with purpose. See, fear's a natural reaction. It's your brain's way of telling you not to do something stupid. Realize that your fear's a tool, Miri. It's an evolutionary mechanism that alerts you to danger, so you can take the best course of action to either avoid it or overcome it. Does that make sense?"

Angel nodded. "Thanks, Daniel."

_

* * *

Governor's Mansion_

_Eaton_

_20 September 3063_

"Spectre, I'm picking up another lance of light 'Mechs headed for Nav Point Beta," Castle called out.

"Roger, Castle," Rich called back. "Looks like two Fleas, an Osiris, and a Raven. Mustang Lance?"

"On it, suh," Mustang replied as she jetted into the air to get a better visual. A bright emerald beam lanced out from her Hellhound's arm, scoring a direct hit on the Raven's leg. Rich jumped up as well and did likewise. He had changed up his Thanatos' armaments for this mission. Instead of dual-wielding LBXs, the Thanatos now carried an ER large laser, a light Gauss rifle, a Clan Gauss rifle, and a Clan LRM10. Two magnetically accelerated slugs zipped by, the heavier one gouging a deep hole in the ground, the lighter one knocking one of the Fleas around. Mags, in turn, sent a PPC bolt at the light lance, then closed the distance and began blasting away at the Flea. The concentrated fire soon turned the little 'Mech into a scrap heap, at the cost of one of Mags' machine gun arrays that had gotten caught in the ensuing explosion.

"Mags! You alright?" Rich called out.

"Fine, lead," Mags replied. "Didn't hit anything vital." Just then, a series of lasers from the Osiris dug into her 'Mech's torso. In a flash, she was upon the Osiris, unleashing a wave of C-STRKs into its face, then following up with machine gun blasts.

"Spectre, I'm picking up another lance of 'Mechs headed for your position," Castle noted. "Looks like three lights led by one medium."

"Gotcha, Castle," Rich replied, moving in to trade blows with the Raven. "Angel, stay on guard. Rest of Spectre Lance, engage your closest target."

"Copy," Angel called back.

_

* * *

War Room, Talon DropShip Adler_

_Eaton_

_18 September 3063_

"I hope I'm not bothering you, sir?" Angel asked as Rich let her in.

"Not at all," Rich replied as he motioned for her to have a seat. Angel complied, noting that Castle was in the room as well. "It's always welcome when our little Angel graces my office with her presence," Rich said, laughing at her and Castle's reactions. "So, how was that little homework assignment I gave you?"

"It was…interesting, sir," Angel replied. "I talked to everyone, but…I don't know. Everyone seems to do things differently. I mean, Mags has that revenge thing going on, Amber lets her love of fighting take over, Daniel just treats it like…like a fast food worker might treat flipping burgers, and Sheila seems almost appallingly carefree about the prospect that she might die. Don't tell her I said that," she added hastily.

"Don't worry about it," Castle laughed. "Everything in this room will stay confidential between us."

"Captain, you said you would tell me how you kept cool if I went and asked everyone else first," Angel said. "So…"

"Alright, fair enough," Rich replied. "You know I used to be a Solaris jock until Anderson St.-Pierre shot me out of my Marauder, right?" Angel nodded. "LBX-20 to the center torso. One of the fragments smashed through my cockpit and missed me by no more than three centimeters. If his aim had been off by a hair, I'd have been impaled.

"Anyways, since then, I figured that I was living on borrowed time, and if I was going to die, I'm going to leave my mark in this universe. There was no chance of that on Solaris, seeing as how Anderson was better than me, and there were a good number of people better than him, so I formed this mercenary unit. You ask me how I remain calm and collected during battle, even as shells, missiles, and laser burst explode all around me? It's simple: fear has no control over a man who thinks he's already dead."

"You look confused," Castle noted.

"Yeah…" Angel pursed her lips. "It's like, you all have these different ways of coping, but I still don't know how I'm supposed to deal with it. I mean, I tried Amber's way, and it didn't work. Sheila and Mags have to do with personality, and I don't think that works for me either. Haven't tried Daniel's way yet, but what if it doesn't work?"

"That's for you to find out," Rich said.

"The purpose of this was simply for you to realize that we all grapple with fear," Castle explained. "Each of us overcame it in our own way. Search within yourself, and I'm sure you'll find the answer."

"Of course, if you notice, all these solutions have a common theme," Rich added. "When fear enters our hearts, we all try to push it out by replacing it with a more useful emotion. Mags with rage and anger, Blaze and Mustang with the thrill of battle, Hannibal with logic, and myself with stoic fatalism. Try to find something that serves the same purpose for you, Miri." He paused for a bit. "And in case you can't find anything, you could always do what I do to stay frosty during firefights."

"And that is?"

"Sing."

_

* * *

Governor's Mansion_

_Eaton_

_20 September 3063_

"Damn, they want these people bad," Rich growled as ER PPC shots from an enemy Uziel impacted with his Thanatos, digging deep holes in its armor. Rich snorted. "Don't you know you're outclassed here?" he yelled as he fired an Alpha Strike that rocked the Uziel.

However, something was wrong, and Rich quickly noticed this as two of the light 'Mechs, a Raven and a Cougar, slipped past his formation. It suddenly dawned on him that the intent was for the mixed medium-light lance to tie up his own lance, while the faster light 'Mechs blitzed in and took out the Governor.

Rich cursed. "Angel! Two enemy 'Mechs approaching! Fire at will!" Another PPC shot slammed into his Thanatos. "Mags, Mustang, pursue," he ordered.

"Sorry, Spectre," Mustang replied. "These two damn Osires are running circles around us. Whoever's piloting them are good, real good." There was a roar of LBX fire, followed by a curse. "Dammit! I can't draw a bead on them. Mags is having the same problem."

Angel, meanwhile, saw the Cougar burst through the trees, lined up her sights, and let fly with a Gauss slug that knocked its torso way to the side, causing its subsequent laser blasts to impact harmlessly against the ground. Suddenly, she became aware of another red blip on her radar. "What the–" she began, only to feel a small *thump* against her 'Mech as the enemy Raven darted in and back out. Next she knew, a stream of missiles flew out of the Cougar. Even though there could not possibly have enough time for it to get a lock on her Argus, the missiles still swerved to match her evasive actions, finally impacting against her right torso. It then dawned on Angel that she had been tagged with a NARC beacon.

As Angel fought to keep control of her 'Mech, the Raven had moved out of range and fired its own LRMs, resulting in more armor being chipped off her 'Mech. She fired back with a blind LRM salvo that forced the Raven into taking evasive action, then followed up with her ER large laser and Gauss rifle and grinned as the Raven was knocked to the ground. Before she could make the finishing shot, however, a lucky missile barrage from the Cougar knocked her torso around right in the way of its lasers. Angel cried out as the bright red beams seared right below her cockpit, missing the vital spot by mere feet. The shock of this, followed by a combined missile barrage from both Raven and Cougar, knocked her Argus to the ground.

"Angel!" came the cry from several different comms. "Get up!"

Emboldened by this recent success, the Cougar trotted up close to the downed 'Mech and stalked around it, carefully aiming its ER large laser. Briefly, Angel's thoughts went to a prior life, when she had been a cadet at a third-tier military academy in the Chaos March. It was not the most prestigious of institutions, but it promised a much better future than she could otherwise expect for a girl who grew up in one of the poorer neighborhoods.

"Come on, Angel!"

The rest of her family had broken the bank to keep her in, and she resolved to make them proud – until the day a Capellan raid destroyed the factory where her father worked, crippling him and resulting in his being laid off. Her younger brother tried to pick up the slack, but it was not enough, and soon the stress of being the primary breadwinner of the family took its toll on her mother, rendering her bedridden as well.

"Angel, snap out of it!"

Due to their dire financial straits, Angel was no longer able to afford the tuition and had to drop out. Between spending her days flipping burgers or finding a place to apply what she had learned, Angel chose the latter. It was fortunate that Angel had run into Rich Hughes, as he needed a pilot who would work for cheap, and she needed an employer who would overlook her incomplete training. The pay was a bit low, but she at least had money to send back home.

"Angel, look out!"

Angel closed her eyes and focused on that last thought. _Family_. Her bedridden parents, struggling off their pensions. Her younger brother, bright and full of potential, but forced to drop out of school and work at a convenience store to make ends meet. They needed her. They depended on her. Then there was her other family. Rich "Spectre" Hughes. Daniel "Hannibal" Burke. Amber "Blaze" Worthy. Sheila "Mustang" Devons. Sarah "Mags" Maglioni. "Mama Castle". They, too, depended on her, and just as she could not let her biological family down, she could not let her company down, either.

Angel grit her teeth and felt her inner turmoil gradually diminish. Fear became resolve, and resolve became action. As the Cougar fired its lasers, Angel twisted her torso so that instead of lancing through her cockpit, the blasts seared chunks off her center and left torso. This was fine for Angel, since her Argus did enjoy much higher levels of armor. Another LRM salvo slammed into her as she got up, but this time she was able to keep her balance. Angel smiled as she imagined the look on the Cougar pilot's face.

"Say hello to my little friend," Angel snarled as she planted a Gauss slug right into the Cougar's center torso, knocking it back. She then turned her attention to the Raven, which was pummeling away at the governor's mansion. Though the building was reinforced with armor, it would not last much longer against the sustained assault. A laser blast from her Argus sliced off a large chunk of the Raven's armor. As it turned to face this resurgent foe, two more Gauss slugs punched through its rear.

"You all right?" Rich called to her, the two Gauss rifles on his Thanatos still smoking as he walked past the smoldering wreckage of the Raven.

"I'm OK now, sir," Angel replied. By this time, the Cougar had gotten back up. "I can handle it from here."

"Good," Rich replied. A laser blast bit into his 'Mech. "Stay frosty," Rich said as he immediately turned around to engage this new threat.

"Roger, lead," Angel acknowledged. Just then, she heard something from Rich's comm that completely surprised her.

"If you wanna be my lover/you gotta get with my friends/make it last forever/friendship never ends…"

"Uh, sir?" Angel called out. "I think you left your comm on…"

"Ah. So I did," Rich replied, a little nervously. "No one heard that, right?"

"Bubblegum pop? What bubblegum pop?" Hannibal asked innocently. "I didn't hear any bubblegum pop, did you?"

"Didn't hear a thing," Mags noted.

"Neither did I," said Blaze.

"Nosirree," Mustang added.

"Commander, I don't think you're living this one down for a while," Castle said, stifling a chuckle.

Angel laughed as she and the Cougar circled each other. Lasers from the enemy 'Mech gouged at her torso. Angel immediately fired back with a Gauss slug that punched through one of the Cougar's legs, sending it crashing to the ground. "Surrender or die," she growled, pointing her Gauss rifle at the downed 'Mech's head. There was a few seconds of silence. Then, the cockpit opened, and the pilot walked out with his hands on his head.

"That's the last of them," Rich called out. "Good work, team. Three, two, one–"

"Flawless victory!" The rest of his company called back.


	12. Chapter 11: Diamond Crevasse, Part 1

**A/N:** I'm currently playing Mercs with the MekTek patch, which is why the Mk. II has ER PPCs. With the normal version of the game, you would not be able to make this build. The allied defenders of Barlow Gap are a reference to Evan Wright's _Generation Kill_. Great book, which was turned into an HBO miniseries.

_

* * *

CO's Office, Talon DropShip Adler_

_Eaton_

_23 September 3063_

"Good news and bad news, commander," Castle said as she entered the room that Rich had made the company office. It was a threadbare compartment, with a minimal paint scheme and very few decorations, the sole exception being a polished ebony desk that was purchased at a liquidation sale.

"Ah, good news first," Rich said, looking up from his computer.

"We've received personal commendations from Highlander Command for engaging, and I quote, 'above and beyond expectations'," Castle said. "As a result, we are now authorized to bear our own colors and insignia into battle. Also, the Clan 'Mechs you ordered have arrived. They're currently en route to our DropShip as we speak."

"Really? That's pretty awesome," Rich replied. "Guess I'll have to go about finding me an artist. What's the bad news?"

"This." Castle handed him a small disc, which contained a holovid. Rich promptly inserted it into his computer's disk drive. His eyes widened at the images that greeted him.

_

* * *

Skye Separatist HQ, Name Classified_

_Eaton_

_26 September 3063_

"Gentlemen," Eaton Governor Jonathon Thayer said to the various military commanders around him, "as you already know, there had been a ploy to kidnap my family and me about a week prior. Thanks to the mercenary unit Hughes' Iron Eagles, this cowardly plot by a desperate enemy was thwarted." He coughed a bit, cleared his breath, and continued.

"Gentlemen, I have tried to be reasonable with these Lyran Loyalists. They have bitched and moaned, and they have moaned and bitched, and I have tried to be fair with them. However, following this recent…action, I've become convinced that they cannot be reasoned with. That they are not just some disenfranchised group looking for 'no taxation without representation', but an enemy who seeks to undermine the very seat of authority and stability on this world.

"We've hit them hard so far, but the way I see it, this campaign is far from over. The reinforced 12th Militia Company we sent after the Loyalists' elite Blutschwert, despite having a 2-1 advantage, was able to only eliminate one of the Blutschwert's lances. The 12th, in turn, suffered crippling casualties, with only three 'Mechs making it back. Good effort though," Thayer added, noticing a lieutenant with a slightly reddened face at this.

"Anyways, we've received intel that the Loyalists are trying to make one final push through Barlow Gap in an attempt to seize the base we have there. The base is defended by only a mixed medium-light lance, and due to recent raids by those Blutschwert, we're undermanned in that region. For that reason, I've hired the Iron Eagles to augment our forces."

"Are you sure that will be enough, sir?" a colonel asked. "They're only a demi-company, and a new unit at that, albeit one with some very impressive records. Still, if the Loyalist attack in force – and they will, because Barlow Gap's a highly valuable position – they're still going to be swamped."

"Quite sure. You see, I just got off the phone with their liaison, who has informed me that they had recently acquired three new 'Mechs," Thayer replied, a savage grin appearing on his face. "Clantech. A Vulture, a Mad Cat, a Mad Cat Mk. II. Now, that's a force multiplier if I ever saw one."

_

* * *

Mobile Field Base Alpha, 750 meters from Barlow Gap_

_Eaton_

_28 September 3063_

"Man, I love this thing," Rich laughed as he scanned the vicinity using his Mad Cat Mk. II's Beagle Active Probe. "Beats the hell out of that old Marauder of mine any day." Mordechai Hawker had indeed delivered on his promise, although the Mk. II was a little banged up, almost as if it had been in a firefight before it was purchased. Rich sighed. The purchase had dug deeply into his company's accounts, and the payoff from this mission would still be barely enough to cover his expenses. Still, the presence of three front-line Clan 'Mechs boosted the Iron Eagles' Dragoon Rating considerably and Rich was confident that once his accounts were a little fuller, he'd be able to find new contracts without much problem.

"Wing of enemy scout choppers inbound from the south," Rich called out.

"On it," Blaze replied from her brand new Mad Cat, sending PPC bolts at the aerial threats. Others joined her, lighting the sky up with beam weaponry so as to conserve ammunition. Their mission briefing warned them of a possible massed enemy attack and little likelihood of reinforcements arriving any time soon, and it was unanimously decided that despite the heat problems, energy weapons would be used as much as possible. Of course, this did make everyone a little uncomfortable, to say the least.

"Man, I'm burning up in here," Angel said, wiping droplets of sweat off her brow. "You know what we should do? Get some of those frozen dinner things and store them in our 'Mechs. A few more engagements like this, dinner be done."

"You know back in the first World War, they would fire machine guns come lunch time so the water used to cool them could be used to make tea?" Hannibal replied. "And during the later decades of the 20th century, they would stick MREs in the exhaust pipes of tanks to heat them up."

"Ah, Hannibal," Blaze laughed, a little sarcastically. "Your wisdom never ceases to amaze."

"Heh. Cut the chatter, Eagles," Rich said. Suddenly, he was aware of a field of red that began filling the top part of his radar screen and a bizarrely calm voice blasted through the comm.

"Spectre, this is Black Six actual," came the voice. "We are facing two lances of enemy 'Mechs and mixed vehicles and aerospace fighter assets." There was an explosion, followed by that same bizarrely calm voice. "Requesting immediate assistance, over."

"Roger, Black Six," Rich replied. "Assistance on the way. Mustang Lance, hold the fort. Spectre Lance, follow me and engage!"

_

* * *

Barlow Gap_

_Eaton_

_28 September 3063_

"Shit, shit, shit," Corporal Person cursed as his Wolfhound ate an autocannon blast from an enemy Argus. He fired back with a series of pulse lasers while attempting evasive action, but there was just too many enemy 'Mechs in the vicinity.

"Stay frosty, Person," Black Six's lance commander, Sergeant Colbert, replied from his Argus. "Help is on the way." To accentuate this point, he fired a laser blast that stripped a chunk of armor from an enemy Bushwacker, only to fight to regain his balance as LBX-10 shots from a Loki impacted with his center torso. Colbert let loose a curse of his own. This was not good. The enemy forces consisted of three Wolfhounds, a Bushwacker, an Argus, a Thanatos, a Black Knight, and a Loki, plus various miscellaneous vehicles. Though Black Six was a capable unit in its own right, they were facing a serious numbers and tonnage disadvantage.

Suddenly, laser and the odd autocannon shot entered the gap, catching the attention of the enemy Black Knight. Two Wolfhounds and a Bushwacker bearing the Eaton Territorial Militia insignia entered the battlefield, weapons blazing.

"Yeah! Get some," Corporal Trombley yelled triumphantly from his Argus as the newcomers focused fire on the Black Knight currently dogging him. His enthusiasm dropped significantly as the Black Knight turned away and unloaded on one of the Wolfhounds, knocking it around.

"Nice timing, Espera," Colbert called out, grinning. "Where'd you come from?"

"Oh, I was just scouting the area when I heard a distress call," Sergeant Espera replied. "Thought it might be worth checking out. Guess I was right." An ER laser blast scorched his 'Mech, followed by several SRMs that fortunately did not hit anything vital. "Shit, dog, you must have pissed off the man upstairs real good to get in this mess."

"Yup," Colbert replied. "I gotta admit, I was expecting someone else, though."

"Who?" Espera asked, loosing an AC10 shell at the enemy Bushwacker.

"This mercenary outfit we got defending Alpha Base," Colbert answered, circling and trading shots with an enemy Argus. "Five heavies, one assault. Three of which are Clantech. Should be more than enough to even the odds."

"Shit, dog," Espera replied. "That ain't 'more than enough', that's overkill."

Just then, there was a cry of alarm as one of the Wolfhounds lit up, its center torso cored by an LBX-20 shot from the enemy Thanatos.

"Hasser!" Colbert yelled, only to be relieved when he saw the ejection seat fly up into the air a split second before the Wolfhound went nuclear.

"I'm OK, lead!" came Hasser's reply from his ejection pod.

"Good. Just get the hell out of here," Colbert replied. "I don't need one of my men stepped on by a 70-ton killing machine." Just then, there was another cry of alarm as one of Espera's Wolfhounds was double-teamed by the Bushwacker and the Thanatos. A combination of an AC10 and an LBX20 shot off one of its arms and shredded its center torso. As the Thanatos readied itself to make a killing shot, it was suddenly aware of a large and ominous shadow headed for it. Looking up, its pilot saw a Mad Cat that was much larger than a Mad Cat had any right to be. Two PPC bolts shot out from its arms, nailing the Bushwacker in the center torso.

"What the–" the Thanatos pilot could only utter as Rich Hughes' Mad Cat Mk. II crashed into it, knocking both 'Mechs down. The maneuver crumpled much of the armor on the Thanatos' shoulders and disabled some of its weapons. The rest of Rich's lance soon appeared as well, Angel in a Thanatos, Hannibal in his Catapult, and Blaze in her Mad Cat.

"Hey, Wolfhound," Rich called out as he got back up and gave the Thanatos an LRM salvo, then lit into it with a RAC2. "Go get yourself fixed up."

"Black Six here," Colbert called on from the comm. "Is this the infamous Spectre?"

"Yup," Rich replied. "You're not about to start shooting me, are you?"

"Ah, no. Is there a reason I should?" Colbert asked, a little confused.

"Not really," Rich answered. "Long story. I'll tell you about it when we finish this."

"Actually, a better suggestion would probably to send Black Six to the mobile field base for repairs," Hannibal said. "Live to fight another day."

"Are you suggesting we retreat?" Person yelled, trading pulse laser blasts with an enemy Wolfhound. "Because we don't do retreat."

"Shut up, Person," Colbert said. "Black Six lance, advance in the opposite direction."

"Hey, Pappy," Espera called out to the damaged Wolfhound from his team. "Get your ass to that base as well."

"Roger," Pappy replied, speeding back. As he did so, he pitched his torso down in a slight nod to Rich's 'Mech. "Thanks for the assist."

"No problem," Rich said, turning his attention to the enemy 'Mechs. "10000 C-bills for whoever can take the Loki for salvage!"

_

* * *

No-Man's Land, 500m from Barlow Gap_

_Eaton_

_28 September 3063_

"Man, this blows," Trombley grumbled as he, Pappy, and Person followed Colbert back, smoke pouring from several places on his Argus. "I didn't even get to blow shit up."

"Aw, that fucking sucks, Trombley," Person called back in his similarly damaged Wolfhound. "Did your recruiter tell you you'd get to blow shit up?"

"Hell yeah he did," Trombley replied.

"See, Trombley asked about blowing shit up. I asked about pussy. My recruiter said I could get assigned to one of them more isolated places, where the girls are just deprived of the dirty and love a man in uniform, and get all kinds of strange. What'd you ask about, Sarge?" Person called to Colbert.

"Can it, Person," Colbert called back.

"Man, Sarge probably saw that stupid commercial, with the knight that fucks up that dragon and turns into a MechWarrior. Fucking commercial got so many dudes – oh fuck!" Person interjected, as four Ultra AC2 shots ripped into his Wolfhound's back, knocking it to the ground. His eyes went wide as his radar picked up four new BattleMechs, a Mauler, an Argus, and two Catapults.

"Oh shit, that's the Blutschwert, isn't it?"

Just then, Rich's frantic voice greeted them on the comm.

"Black Six, this is Spectre. Blutschwert has entered the battle. Loyalists have broken through the pass. We're trying to keep them tied down, but expect a Mauler and a Catapult – shit, add a Wolfhound to that list. Make all speed to the field base – I got two more of my people there who can cover you."

"Roger," Colbert replied, then turned to the rest of his lance. "Come on, guys, step on it! Go go go!"


	13. Chapter 12: Diamond Crevasse, Part 2

**A/N**: Diamond Crevasse is the song Mags sings, as well as IMO probably the best song in Macross Frontier. Youtube it.

_

* * *

Barlow Gap_

_Eaton_

_28 September 3063_

"Dammit," Rich growled as PPC and laser fire from the Loyalist Black Knight dug into his Mad Cat Mk. II, supplemented by missiles from an enemy Argus. He immediately fired back with his own ER PPCs, feeling a sharp spike in the heat of his cockpit and a warm glow of satisfaction as one of the Black Knight's arms was blown clean out of its socket. "Goddamn Blutschwert. Why the hell did they have to show up now?"

Rich's thoughts went back to when the Blutschwert first showed up on the field of battle. Hannibal and Angel had jetted atop one of the cliffs overlooking Barlow Gap, raining missiles and Gauss slugs down upon the enemy formations, while Blaze was busy trading blows with the enemy Loki. By this point, the Lyran Thanatos and Bushwacker had both been eliminated, and the explosions from the latter's death took an already damaged Wolfhound with it. Things were looking good – until Thunderbolts slammed into Blaze's Mad Cat and four Ultra AC2 shots tore apart the remaining Separatist Wolfhound.

"Well, well. Hughes' Iron Eagles. I see you've traded up since we last met. Clantech's nice, but it won't help you," the gravelly voice of First Leutnant von Flue, commander of the elite 27th Blutschwert, had quipped to Rich on the comm. The jibe brought Rich's memories to the holovid he had seen just a week earlier and made him shudder at the sheer methodical efficiency with which the Blutschwert had decimated a force twice their number.

"Whatever," Rich replied. "Now come on. Let's settle this, man to man, you against me." He winced as an Ultra AC2 salvo from von Flue's Mauler nearly blew out his cockpit.

"Not today," von Flue replied. "I have a base to capture."

And then they simply blew past the Gap's defenders. Not only were the Blutschwert just as well trained as Rich's men, but their presence added a much needed morale boost to the remaining Loyalist forces. Espera's partial lance was soon driven away, and Rich found himself horrendously outnumbered and no longer able to prevent the Loyalist forces from breaking through the pass.

"So much for us re-enacting the 300 at Thermopylae," Hannibal called out.

"Yeah, it's a lot harder when they have weapons that can actually hurt you from a distance," Rich replied as he switched his Mad Cat Mk II's throttle to reverse and fired away at the incoming 'Mechs. He then switched the comm to Mustang and Mags. "Mustang Lance, multiple hostiles inbound. Engage at will."

_

* * *

Mobile Field Base Alpha_

_Eaton_

_28 September 3063_

"Here they come," Mustang drawled as she lined up an Argus in her sights and lit into it with staggered shots from her Black Knight's ER PPCs. Bolt after bolt of azure lightning impacted against the Argus' center torso, slowing its advance considerably. It fired back with its AC5s, but Mustang's Black Knight was still fresh, and its armor held. An LRM salvo from Mags' Vulture shredded the Argus' armor.

Just then, Mags' eyes picked out Leutnant von Flue's Mauler. It strode across the battlefield, Ultra AC2s blazing, picking off chunks of armor from the retreating Separatist 'Mechs. Mags felt her choler rise as the scene played out, taking her mind to the BattleROM that she watched almost obsessively upon the man's death. She thought of the split second when an Ultra 2 salvo tore through the rear of Shredder's battered Chimera, and a second salvo impacted near the cockpit when Shredder tried to turn and fire back. The blast did not destroy the cockpit, but it did shatter the structure, sending fragments of Plexiglas and steel into his body.

"Bastard," Mags growled as she charged the Mauler, letting loose another missile salvo as soon as a target lock was acquired.

"Mags, what're you doin'?" Mustang called out as she loosed a PPC bolt at the Mauler. "Mags, get back here!" No reply. "Dammit," Mustang muttered as she rode out from the base to engage a Catapult that had also broken through the gap.

Meanwhile, a scream of rage emitted from the Vulture's external speakers as it ran through salvoes of Ultra AC2 fire, missiles pouring from its shoulders.

_

* * *

Mobile Field Base Alpha_

_Eaton_

_28 September 3063_

There was a key reason that Mobile Field Base Alpha was such a valuable military objective – it contained a bizarre structure, some experimental Star-League era facility that was capable of performing field repairs on a BattleMech in a matter of minutes. However, it was only a temporary solution, and any damaged 'Mech repaired in such a manner could only fight on for several more minutes before refusing to work completely. The facility's existence had kept a secret, known only to the Federated Commonwealth forces. That and the sheer size of the AFFC prevented attempts by the other powers to seize Eaton for the advantage that such a facility offered.

Sergeant Colbert closed his eyes and hummed a tune as the not-at-all-understood technology did its work. "Sometimes I think it's a sin/When I feel like I'm winnin' when I'm losin' again…"

"Man, that bitch is crazy," Person noted as he observed Mags' Vulture charge the Mauler head-on. He, Trombley, Pappy, and Espera waited their turns for the MFB repair facility, taking the occasional potshot at any Loyalist 'Mechs that wandered into range. "I mean, I get that it's Clantech and all, but come on. That Mauler's gotta outweigh you by at least 20 fucking tons." Sighing, he sent a stream of large X-Pulse lasers at the Mauler, chipping away at its heavy armor. "Jesus Christ, I guess if you were actually a purebred Clanner you might be able to pull it off, but-"

"Lock it up, Person," came Colbert's slightly annoyed voice on the comm.

"Yes sir," Person replied with a grin. Meanwhile, the battle raged on all around them.

"Yeah! Get some," Trombley yelled as he lit into the enemy Loki with the twin RAC5s that replaced the two Ultra AC5s on his Argus. Pockmarks appeared all over the Loki's armor, and it eventually went down due to a combination of Trombley's barrage and Blaze's Mad Cat. A cheer went up around the small group of militiamen, until they saw a Thunderbolt from a Blutschwert Catapult slam into the Mad Cat's side. As Blaze trained her guns on the Catapult, a second Thunderbolt shot out and knocked the Mad Cat's torso around, sending the shot wide.

Espera whistled as he searched for new targets, waiting for his light Gauss rifle to reload. "Shit, dog. We got a hard fight ahead of us."

_

* * *

Wolf's Diner_

_Outreach_

_14 March 3062_

"Here we are, two Dispossessed MechWarriors," Mags sighed as she picked at her food. "So, what's going on?"

"I just quit," Shredder said. "Don't worry, I got another job. I'm now a proud member of Hughes' Iron Eagles." Mags stared.

"What? But the Phantoms need you," she said, referring to the mercenary unit in which they both served. "I need you."

"Look, honey, I don't want to leave any more than you do," Shredder replied. "But since that complete SNAFU of a mission, both of us are out of 'Mechs, and our CO hasn't exactly been good about getting new contracts. I want an 'us', Mags. But I don't think it's going to happen if we stay as ground-pounders in the Phantoms." He smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Before you know it, I'll be rolling in the C-bills and riding back in a Mad Cat, and we'll get off this rock and settle down."

Mags laughed a little at the thought. "Alright, fine," she said. "When do you ship out?"

"Tomorrow morning," Shredder answered as he got up. "So, my dear lady," he said with a grin and an exaggerated bow. "May I have the honor of a farewell dance?"

"Of course," Mags replied. As the pair floated about the dance floor, Mags closed her eyes and took in the words of the song that was now playing.

_When I was still in love with God_

_I never expected such a farewell would come._

_If I had known I could never feel your touch again,_

_I would've hoped to be embraced just one last time._

_It's a long, long goodbye…_

_

* * *

No-Man's Land, outside Mobile Field Base Alpha_

_Eaton_

_28 September 3063_

Mags let loose a roar of anger as she unleashed another deluge of missiles that impacted with the Mauler's body. Her Vulture had an advantage in mobility, but von Flue was a talented MechWarrior in his own right, and while the four Ultra AC2s on his Mauler could deal only light damage, they fired fast and he aimed true. In addition, he had customized his 'Mech to use Clan versions of the standard loadout, leaving room for more weapons than would normally fit on the Assault 'Mech. The armor on Mags' Vulture was soon riddled with many holes and gashes. Still, she kept fighting on, even as the armor level display in her HUD steadily decreased.

Mustang, meanwhile, was wondering why the Catapult she chose to engage was not lighting her up with LRM fire until it closed the gap and unleashed a swarm of Streak MRMs into her Black Knight's face. Mustang grit her teeth as she fought to maintain her balance. Just as she righted herself, another wave of Streak SRMs slammed into her Black Knight. However, now her PPCs were fully charged again, and she took careful aim at one of the missile boxes on the Catapult's shoulders and fired. Three ER PPC bolts seared their way through the Catapult's missile box, rewarding Mustang with a brilliant fireworks display. The ensuing explosion also knocked the Catapult over, giving her some breathing time. She checked her armor levels and breathed a sigh of relief. The Catapult's pilot had impeccable aim, but fortunately for Mustang, missiles tended to spread their damage among a large area. She was fine for now.

Mags, on the other hand, was not so lucky. An Alpha Strike from the Mauler had knocked her Vulture down. As she struggled to get back up, she felt the Mauler's foot rock her Vulture, rolling it over on its back. There was another shockwave as the Assault 'Mech stepped on her Vulture's chest, pinning it down.

Memories of Shredder filled Mags' mind, bringing back to the last day they were together. _How did that song go again? Goodbye, goodbye, my beloved/I came this far because you were here/I wasn't alone, was I?/Now, I long for answers._

"Jacob," Mags whispered as she closed her eyes and fired one last salvo, bracing as the Mauler returned the favor. One look at the HUD told her that her Vulture's armor was almost entirely gone. A chill shot up Mags' spine as she could almost imagine the enemy pilot grinning as he carefully aimed his 'Mech's guns on her Vulture's cockpit.

"Good shot, that," she heard von Flue call out. He said something else, only to be cut short as two PPC bolts stabbed into his 'Mech, sending its shots wide. Rich's Mad Cat Mk II arrived to the rescue, the effect diminished somewhat by the fact that smoke was billowing out of several holes in the limping 'Mech and by von Flue's reaction, which was to maintain composure, turn around, and fire a lucky salvo that sheared off one of the Mk II's ER PPCs. The sudden loss of weight made the Mk II falter somewhat, and von Flue took the opportunity to light into Rich's damaged 'Mech, spraying autocannon rounds all over Rich's center torso. Several shots came dangerously close to the cockpit, and Rich began to realize just how much of a hornet's nest he just kicked when a heavy Gauss slug slammed into the Mauler. More Gauss slugs, lasers, missiles, and a PPC bolts impacted against the Mech, knocking it down as two Arguses, two Wolfhounds, and a Bushwacker strode triumphantly back on to the battlefield.

"Yeah! Get some," came the excited whoop from Person's Wolfhound.

"Here, Mags, lemme give you a hand," Mustang called out as she came hobbling over in her Black Knight. Pappy's Wolfhound joined in, and together they helped Mags up. No sooner had this happened when Mags torso twisted and fired off another salvo at von Flue's Mauler, which was currently taking fire from Colbert, Trombley, Person, and Espera. The wave of missiles struck home, and a tired grin appeared on Mags' face upon seeing the Assault 'Mech collapse backwards like an inebriated giant as its pilot punched out straight into the path of a Streak MRM. She suddenly felt something wet on her face, and it took her a second to realize it was blood. _Must have been from the last Alpha Strike,_ she thought. _Tossed me all over my cockpit, it did._ The wound stung, but it was bothering her less and less as everything went black.

_

* * *

Medbay, Talon Dropship Adler_

_Eaton_

_30 September 3063_

Mags groaned as she opened her eyes. She was in a sterile room, and judging from the smell, it was a hospital room.

"Hey," Mustang greeted her. "How're you feeling?"

"Like shit," Mags replied. "How long was I out? Did we win?"

"Two days," Mustang answered. "Don't worry, once the Mauler fell, it was easy pickings from there. I have to hand it to the Lyrans, though, they were some tough customers. No survivors, died to a man." She shrugged. "At any rate, we got us some pretty nice salvage out of the deal. Anyways, the Captain'll want to see you, so I'm going to get him now. Need anything?"

"No," Mags shook her head. "But don't call him just yet. I…I need some alone time."

"Alright," Mustang nodded as she exited the room.

Mags stared at the ceiling. Now that the Blutschwert were eliminated, that was a burden lifted from her shoulders. Yet now, she felt empty. Whereas it was formerly vengeance driving her, now there was nothing.

Mags sighed. As she lay there, trying to collect her thoughts, she found her thoughts straying back again to that song from the diner half a year ago.

_If we are reincarnated and can meet again some day,_

_Please find me and hold me tight,_

_And make sure you don't let go again._

_I wish the planet would whisper to me that I'm not alone..._


End file.
